Relaxing Masking for vaccinated guests?

[Thenagers]

I have heard that RCL is expecting these rules to be updated soon? I was thinking  it was tied to the lawsuit in Florida but maybe CDC didn’t want to do it until a verdict from the appeals court? I know I am being overly hopeful but fingers crossed for my July 26th sailing? I’ll deal

if I have too! I just would rather have a more normal experience but locked into these dates and such!

[barbeyg]

I guess for now we are all at the mercy of the CDC’s masking rules that could go either way.  The CSO will stand for now.  Hopefully, as they have on land, the rules will relax more for those vaccinated. 

Edited July 18, 2021 by barbeyg

[BirdTravels]

The masking requirements are part of the CDC requirements for sailing out of a US port. So, it is in effect for cruises out of Florida and other states (e.g., Alaska cruises). The Adventure of the Seas, which sails from Nassau, does not have any masking requirements. 

[PTC DAWG]

The more people vaccinated, the less likely we have draconian mask measure on cruises, airports, etc..so in other words, if not vaccinated, get it done. 

[ash2bear]

3 hours ago, Thenagers said:

I have heard that RCL is expecting these rules to be updated soon? I was thinking  it was tied to the lawsuit in Florida but maybe CDC didn’t want to do it until a verdict from the appeals court? I know I am being overly hopeful but fingers crossed for my July 26th sailing? I’ll deal

if I have too! I just would rather have a more normal experience but locked into these dates and such!

CDC won their appeal...now we wait to see if Florida takes it to the next level.

[emory2001]

3 hours ago, PTC DAWG said:

The more people vaccinated, the less likely we have draconian mask measure on cruises, airports, etc..so in other words, if not vaccinated, get it done. 

Exactly. I know there are availability issues in some countries, but if you hate the masking and other restrictions, want to cruise freely, and are able to get a vaccine (without a documented medical reason not to, and with availability), then you do it. The longer it takes everyone to do it, the longer these restrictions will remain. That’s reality.

I was originally vaccinated through “crossover” shots in the Novavax trial, but because it’s taking a while for it to get approved, I had to get Pfizer too, in order to have vaccinated status for cruising. It was no big deal to me (and with all these variants, I’m not upset about being double vax’d, if one brand covers certain variants better and another covers other variants better, great). Similarly, if I were in the situation where I’d had 1 Pfizer + 1 Moderna, I’d seek out the second shot of either one (whichever’s easiest and available) and get an updated vax card with the two dates of the same brand shot, if it meant being considered vax’d for cruising.

[PhoenixCruiser]

Considering that 1 out of 5 new US Covid infections are coming out of Florida, no one can predict what will happen.

[Coralc]

2 hours ago, PhoenixCruiser said:

Considering that 1 out of 5 new US Covid infections are coming out of Florida, no one can predict what will happen.

I just saw that today in the paper. And I thought, Oh Great. 

Edited July 19, 2021 by Coralc

[Casino Comp Chick]

4 hours ago, PhoenixCruiser said:

Considering that 1 out of 5 new US Covid infections are coming out of Florida, no one can predict what will happen.

That shouldn’t be a shock to anyone. 

[hotsauce126]

3 hours ago, Casino Comp Chick said:

That shouldn’t be a shock to anyone. 

 

Right because Florida has 22 million people

[cello56]

1 hour ago, hotsauce126 said:

 

Right because Florida has 22 million people

 

Florida's population makes up 6.6% of the USA population. (22 million out of 333 million - roughly)

Florida is currently making up 20% of all new USA Covid-19 cases last week. 

[Dat Cruisin Couple]

2 minutes ago, cello56 said:

 

Florida's population makes up 6.6% of the USA population. (22 million out of 333 million - roughly)

Florida is currently making up 20% of all new USA Covid-19 cases last week. 

 

They are over achievers!

[BND]

23 hours ago, Thenagers said:

I have heard that RCL is expecting these rules to be updated soon? I was thinking  it was tied to the lawsuit in Florida but maybe CDC didn’t want to do it until a verdict from the appeals court? I know I am being overly hopeful but fingers crossed for my July 26th sailing? I’ll deal

if I have too! I just would rather have a more normal experience but locked into these dates and such!

Carnival isn't requiring masks once onboard for those that are vaccinated.  At least they weren't as of the last couple of days so wasn't due to the CDC.  There are several videos about the first Carnival cruises and how people take off their masks when they board.  

[firefly333]

6 minutes ago, BND said:

Carnival isn't requiring masks once onboard for those that are vaccinated.  At least they weren't as of the last couple of days so wasn't due to the CDC.  There are several videos about the first Carnival cruises and how people take off their masks when they board.  

The cdc says vaccinated cruises dont require masks. Carnival is doing vaccinated so does not require masks. Per the cdc regs.

 

Rcl choose to do unvaccinated cruises is why they have to wear masks.

 

 

Edited July 19, 2021 by firefly333

[BND]

3 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

The cdc says vaccinated cruises dont require masks. Carnival is doing vaccinated so does not require masks. Per the cdc regs.

 

Rcl choose to do unvaccinated cruises is why they have to wear masks.

 

 

I'd forgotten that, but the positive rates are almost identical, virtually none.  I know there's been a couple on RCI, but in unvaccinated people who have mask requirements.  So, that says a lot about whether masking makes any difference or is necessary on a cruise with the other current rules in place.

Edited July 19, 2021 by BND

[firefly333]

Just now, BND said:

And, the positive rates are almost identical, virtually none.  I know there's been a couple on RCI, but in unvaccinated people who have mask requirements.  So, that says a lot about whether masking makes any difference or is necessary on a cruise with the other current rules in place.

Lol I'm not saying it helps or doesnt help. Talk to the cdc who put the 95% rate up.

 

If you cut the kids and cruise above 95% cdc considers that vaccinated so masks arent required.

 

I keep hoping rcl does the same so they too can get rid of masks. Just saying it is the cdc requirements.. I'm not a mask fan. 

[Thenagers]

2 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Lol I'm not saying it helps or doesnt help. Talk to the cdc who put the 95% rate up.

 

If you cut the kids and cruise above 95% cdc considers that vaccinated so masks arent required.

 

I keep hoping rcl does the same so they too can get rid of masks. Just saying it is the cdc requirements.. I'm not a mask fan. 

I heard from a certain blogger that he heard straight  from the head honchos at RCL that they were expecting changes to the mask guidelines soon. That was 2 weeks ago. I’m just wishing they would lower the threshold so vaccinated are exempt. . Wishful thinking at this point! 

[BND]

5 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Lol I'm not saying it helps or doesnt help. Talk to the cdc who put the 95% rate up.

 

If you cut the kids and cruise above 95% cdc considers that vaccinated so masks arent required.

 

I keep hoping rcl does the same so they too can get rid of masks. Just saying it is the cdc requirements.. I'm not a mask fan. 

It just seems the CDC makes it up as they go along.  95% is kind of random. It could just as easily be 70%  since that is considered heard immunity for Covid.  Fortunately, the masking policy isn't as bad as it could have been considering the original discussion was pretty much full time wear.  

 

We're not cruising til the end of Nov so by then the CSO expires and hopefully so does the policy.

Edited July 19, 2021 by BND

[lazydayz]

22 minutes ago, BND said:

Carnival isn't requiring masks once onboard for those that are vaccinated.  At least they weren't as of the last couple of days so wasn't due to the CDC.  There are several videos about the first Carnival cruises and how people take off their masks when they board.  

 

Just off the Carnival Horizon yesterday.  No guests were required to wear masks anywhere onboard.  We did have to mask up if you left the ship in the Dominican Republic, but it was not strictly enforced in the port area.  

[smokeybandit]

5 hours ago, Casino Comp Chick said:

That shouldn’t be a shock to anyone. 

Last year at this time, FL, TX, AZ and CA made up nearly half of all the new cases in the country.

[smokeybandit]

13 minutes ago, Thenagers said:

I heard from a certain blogger that he heard straight  from the head honchos at RCL that they were expecting changes to the mask guidelines soon. That was 2 weeks ago. I’m just wishing they would lower the threshold so vaccinated are exempt. . Wishful thinking at this point! 

That was before the CDC won their stay on the nixing of the CSO.  I'm actually expected MORE strict measures to be added to the CSO just because the CDC wants to spite Florida.

[BND]

10 minutes ago, lazydayz said:

 

Just off the Carnival Horizon yesterday.  No guests were required to wear masks anywhere onboard.  We did have to mask up if you left the ship in the Dominican Republic, but it was not strictly enforced in the port area.  

I watch Parodeejay's YT videos so that's one of the places I'd seen it.

[BND]

5 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Last year at this time, FL, TX, AZ and CA made up nearly half of all the new cases in the country.

But, what are the hospitalization and death rates in those states?  I know in our state and specifically our county, deaths and hospitalizations are way down (basically zero in my county), even with a slight increase in cases.  

[smokeybandit]

3 minutes ago, BND said:

But, what are the hospitalization and death rates in those states?  I know in our state and specifically our county, deaths and hospitalizations are way down (basically zero in my county), even with a slight increase in cases.  

Yes, hospitalizations are down in comparison to case rises. The same has been seen in the UK, too

[orville99]

21 hours ago, ash2bear said:

CDC won their appeal...now we wait to see if Florida takes it to the next level.

All the decision of the court of appeals does is temporarily stay the injunction from the original judge until August 12, when the CDC has to file their revised CSO position to the courts. No one won anything, nor will they until this goes to trial.