John H announced masks and Mandatory testing,

[BlerkOne]

3 minutes ago, Applealex said:

That's how people got around the masking requirement when Disney World first opened. They just walked around the park with a churro or drink in their hand, sips and bits every now and then. "Can't mask up, don't you see I'm eating/drinking?"

If they don't already, it won't take cruise lines long to say to be eating or drinking you have to be sitting in designated areas and not walking around.

[BoozinCroozin]

They need to define eating and drinking. I can have a large bag of peanuts and a bottle of water with me. That would constitute "eating" and "drinking". It is interesting and needs some boundaries on what is acceptable and not acceptable.

[BigCountry76]

2 hours ago, mommyof3texans said:

Just read the new protocols on carnival.com and it states that masks are "strongly encouraged", not mandatory except as before which was during embarkation, debarkation, transportation, etc

Sounds like they may not have updated the Web site?

[Houst]

It seems pretty simple to me.
If you want to cruise regardless of the circumstances then you should cruise.
If for some like me spending a few thousand dollars on a cruise and having to wear a mask is unacceptable. I don't want to spend the cruise on my balcony or fighting most of the ship for an outside chair to sit in. I've done Las Vegas with a mask on it was horrible. So Carnival should let us cancel with no penalties. 

[WhaleTailFlCruiser]

Wonder if Carnival will want the Paper negative or if we can just show em the Email or what not of our negative test? 

[Brew12]

1 minute ago, janewe said:

Why don’t they have 100% vaccinated passengers?  Instead they have 5% unvaccinated, 200 on a 4000 passenger load that you will meet on the elevator or at a bar.  But no, we have to appease the minority and have to wear masks all over the ship until we are sitting down.  Doesn’t seem like a lot of fun.  Anti vaxxers won again.

The math doesn't work that way, unfortunately. Just as an example, a ship sailing with 90% of people a month after being vaccinated with Pfizer's vaccine and 10% unvaccinated would expect to have a lower infection rate than a ship sailing 100% vaccinated with the J&J vaccine.

No vaccine is 100% effective and they provide less protection over time.

[BoozinCroozin]

 It is funny hearing what Carnival "has" to do. What you "have" to do is no allow a single unvaccinated person onboard, period. 100% of crew, 100% of passengers, no exceptions. Until they agree to that, all they are doing is beating around the bush.

[shof515]

3 minutes ago, BoozinCroozin said:

 It is funny hearing what Carnival "has" to do. What you "have" to do is no allow a single unvaccinated person onboard, period. 100% of crew, 100% of passengers, no exceptions. Until they agree to that, all they are doing is beating around the bush.

even with a ship 1000% fully vaccinated, it still possible to get a covid case here and there then all of a sudden it starts spreading

[mredandchis]

1 hour ago, parachutes63 said:

What kind of test do you need. Rapid antigen or Rapid PCR? My state offers free testing for both with results in less than 24 hours via email.

I just called my POC and Carnival and he said the antigen test.  

[drafterdw]

1 hour ago, furf_n_slo said:

We sail 9/25 but didn't get the email? Anyone else?

We sail 9/12 I just checked and no email so far.

[BigCountry76]

51 minutes ago, mommysoncruiser said:

I'm just happy people are cancelling or rescheduling. Should make for a more personalized cruise experience. Thanks carnival for doing what is necessary to keep the people safe!

Until they start canceling cruises. Have fun!

[BoozinCroozin]

4 minutes ago, shof515 said:

even with a ship 1000% fully vaccinated, it still possible to get a covid case here and there then all of a sudden it starts spreading

If the objective is to attack covid and the spread, eliminating the MOST vulnerable is key. Stop playing games, that is ALL this is. Step 1: 100% vaccinated, PERIOD!!!  Step 2: Mask mandates. Until that simple piece of logic gets into anyone's head at Carnival, all they will do is play games. They need to grow a pair, tell families with kids unvaccinated...too bad so sad!!!

[mcgore83]

2 minutes ago, drafterdw said:

We sail 9/12 I just checked and no email so far.

Keep checking.  I just got my email about an hour ago for our 9/16 sailing.

[Fredric22]

I think the required masking will be a bit more selective than we first thought.  I think there will be "masks required" signs outside of the elevators, casino, restaurants, theater, piano bar, kids facilities, and night club.  Once you get in to these venues, you can sit down and order a drink and then the mask can come off. It seems like you will not need a mask when just walking around the ship or in open areas inside.  Obviously, no masks needed outside at all which is good otherwise I would not even consider going. 

[ScottsSweetie]

17 minutes ago, Eli_6 said:

Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, etc. do not = the entirety of the country or the world.  Even when I went to NOLA a couple of months ago, masks were required at most restaurants.  And I live in Texas and most people still wear masks here except for in the podunk, backwards towns. 

Correct. But they (+ Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee) make up about 60-70% of the population on the ships sailing from Mobile or Charleston. 

[Bases5]

19 minutes ago, SheSailsFL said:

I read this to mean that if I’m sailing Saturday, I would need to test on Wednesday, with Saturday being the 3rd day after testing. 

It’s my understanding that test day is day zero. 
im trying to verify it with Carnival.  However when we flew out of country test day was day zero

[MrMarc]

54 minutes ago, Applealex said:

I'm happy to just walk away from my sailing and not rant and rave and swear.

 

Except... Carnival won't let people cancel without penalty, even when they played the ol' switcheroo on my sailing. How do you justify that?

If you booked your initial cruise before COVID, I agree, that's not really fair.  But I have also learned over the years that the cruise contract we all agree to basically says they can do anything they want, and we have no recourse.  However, if you booked your cruise anytime after February of 2020, then you booked knowing there was a worldwide pandemic and should expect things to change.  I understand being frustrated or disappointed, but not angry.

[BoozinCroozin]

Since covid is an airborne virus and clings to smoke for farther transmission, they need to ban smoking to limit the distance covid can travel. Add 100% non-smoking to the ship protocols. 

[zeroed]

Perhaps Carnival should’ve just said that in their rush to bring all these restarting ships’s crew members from delta hot zones that they’re trying desperately to mitigate outbreak risk to passengers who will then get on social media and drop dimes about onboard covid cases. 

[mredandchis]

1 hour ago, BrotherCraig said:

These new guidelines won't be around very long.  I give it a month or two.

i sure wish you are right.  I am sure there will be a lot of push back in the next few months.

[MrMarc]

1 minute ago, zeroed said:

Perhaps Carnival should’ve just said that in their rush to bring all these restarting ships’s crew members from delta hot zones that they’re trying desperately to mitigate outbreak risk to passengers who will then get on social media and drop dimes about onboard covid cases. 

The crews have all been vaccinated AND quarantined for 2 weeks.  They are not the problem.  Passengers bring it on and bring it back from ports.  While they thought it would only be the unvaccinated, Delta has changed that, so they are making reasonable changes to protect from it.

[Thenagers]

2 hours ago, firefly333 said:

I take it back how glad I am to be cruising on carnival and not rcl. Now the same, doesnt matter.

I was actually jealous of the Carnival people! I just got off Freedom.  It was not too bad wearing a mask.  Biggest thing was remembering to put it back on in certain areas.  I also had an aft balcony so quite a hike back when you forgot it in the room!  I spent a lot of time in the casino!  

[WhaleTailFlCruiser]

I am still going on my B2B on Mardi Grass its been almost two years I will suffer through the Mask and Testing if it gets me back onboard. 

[Saint Greg]

1 hour ago, TNcruising02 said:

I think the biggest reason for the masks on the cruise ships is that masks are now being required indoors for vaccinated people in a lot of places.  It was just a matter of time before the change got to the cruise lines.

 

But I think the reason that they are required indoors in a lot of places is because it's easier to require them for everyone than it is to check vaccination status. Carnival is already checking vaccination status. If it's the 5%, go to 100% vaccinated. It's stupid to tell people they need to be vaccinated, test them, then tell them they need to wear a mask.

 

Edited August 4, 2021 by Saint Greg

[AtSeaWithChris]

34 minutes ago, zjp3016 said:

3 days before is a little ambiguous. We cruise Saturday 9/4. Do they mean we need to test between 9/1-9/3 or 9/2-9/4? It would be a lot easier to squeeze them in on the Wednesday rather than Thursday so I'm really curious.

technically it's within 72 hours of your check-in/embarkation.