AstraZenaca Vaccine Not Recognised!!

[babs135]

I hope this changes sooner rather than later.  It's going to be very frustrating if things continue to improve but the stance on the AZ vaccine doesn't alter.

 

 

Which Cruise Lines Require a COVID-19 Vaccine? (cruisecritic.co.uk)

[pinklady65]

Looks like my days of cruising from the US are over until they change this 😭  Luckily the ones I have booked are not from the US.  Glad the EU are being sensible about it.

[ziggyuk]

1 hour ago, babs135 said:

I hope this changes sooner rather than later.  It's going to be very frustrating if things continue to improve but the stance on the AZ vaccine doesn't alter.

 

 

Which Cruise Lines Require a COVID-19 Vaccine? (cruisecritic.co.uk)

 

1 hour ago, pinklady65 said:

Looks like my days of cruising from the US are over until they change this 😭  Luckily the ones I have booked are not from the US.  Glad the EU are being sensible about it.

 

That article is not even correct, the first cruise line I check was NCL & is incorrectly reported, they started allowing AZ on US sailings some time ago.

The article is also marked that it was last updated October 2019 which is impossible as this information was not available back then.

Take the article with a pinch of salt, it's an ever changing picture.

 

Current NCL rules:

For ships embarking or disembarking at US ports, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and/or World Health Organisation (WHO) authorised single brand vaccination protocol will be accepted. Including, J&J Janssen, Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca/Oxford. Mixed vaccination protocol will not be accepted (i.e. Pfizer + Moderna or AstraZeneca + Pfizer, etc).

 

All Other Vessels departing from a non US port will accept any U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), European Medicines Agency (EMA), or World Health Organisation (WHO) authorised single brand vaccination protocol. Or a mixed vaccination protocol of only AstraZeneca-SK Bio, Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna combinations.

[Aulanis]

2 hours ago, ziggyuk said:

The article is also marked that it was last updated October 2019 which is impossible as this information was not available back then.

 

I think that it was updated yesterday??    ( supposedly)

4 hours ago, pinklady65 said:

Luckily the ones I have booked are not from the US.  Glad the EU are being sensible about it.

Hmm    the Princess section says that is their GLOBAL rule

and the article they say that covers UK sailings doesnt really clarify anything

.

'

 

Who Needs to Be Vaccinated: All passengers, regardless of age.

Acceptable Vaccines: Princess will only accept passengers vaccinated fully with either Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson. Mixed doses are not currently accepted, unless the mixed doses are both mRNA vaccines (Pfizer/Moderna). This applies to global sailings. Doses mixed with AstraZeneca are considered unvaccinated. 

[babs135]

As far as I was aware the article I posted was up-to-date.  Here is one from the middle of July which still 'doesn't like the AstraZenaca vaccine. 

 

Cruise Lines Modify Vaccination Policies to Prohibit Vaccine Mixing (cruisecritic.co.uk)

 

[wowzz]

Princess say that any vaccine apprived by the WHO is acceptable,  so AZ is OK

The Cruise Critic report is wrong.

[Harters]

Oceania,  with which we are cruising next June, has this:

 

"All guests sailing are required to be fully vaccinated, at least 2 weeks prior to departure, in order to board. U.S.-based vessels will accept any U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and/or World Health Organization (WHO) authorized single brand vaccination protocol, including J&J Janssen, Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and AstraZeneca/Oxford. "

 

The potentially tricky bit is if there has been vaccine mixing. Like most Britons, I've had both AZ jabs. However, I read that booster jabs are to be given to the most vulnerable (of which I suspect I will be one) in the autumn and this is most likely to be Pfizer as it's shown to be more effective as a booster. I suspect that most countries and, certainly, most companies will have not yet considered the issue of booster jabs. I'm not worrying about this  until it gets towards time for us to pay the balance on the cruise - certainly I am not turning down the opportunity of a booster jab just to facilitate a holiday.

[brontravel]

Hi there. Canadian here. Just came in to see what info those of you might have out there. I’m one of the very few Canadians who have double doses of AZ and just found out today that Celebrity will not accept this vaccine for US sailings. Assuming that this is because of the CDC and not just that it’s a choice they are making. Has anyone found a cruise line that will accept AZ for US departures?

[beardedladies]

49 minutes ago, brontravel said:

Hi there. Canadian here. Just came in to see what info those of you might have out there. I’m one of the very few Canadians who have double doses of AZ and just found out today that Celebrity will not accept this vaccine for US sailings. Assuming that this is because of the CDC and not just that it’s a choice they are making. Has anyone found a cruise line that will accept AZ for US departures?

That's not what their own FAQs state (https://www.celebritycruises.com/healthy-at-sea/faqs):

"Vaccines that are fully approved or authorized for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the World Health Organization (WHO) are accepted. Sputnik V and CanSino are not accepted Covid-19 vaccines.  Please be aware that certain countries we sail from or visit during a voyage may require a specific vaccine, and only those travelers vaccinated with the requisite vaccine will be considered fully vaccinated. Be sure to review your departure country's requirements or consult our guest materials prior to sailing for these requirements."

 

The WHO have approved the AZ vaccine, therefore Celebrity should accept it (if you've had two doses, they don't accept mixed vaccines). So the question you should ask is where did you find out they don't, and do you trust that information more than their own site? You could always call to confirm if still in doubt.

[beardedladies]

And just for completeness, there's no mention of any restrictions on type of vaccine on their US travel page: https://www.celebritycruises.com/healthy-at-sea/us-travel-requirements

[beardedladies]

And it's also worth noting the article that spawned this thread in the first post was updated today (5th August) - just checked Celebrity and it's stating AZ is accepted with no caveats about US sailings.

[brontravel]

1 hour ago, beardedladies said:

And it's also worth noting the article that spawned this thread in the first post was updated today (5th August) - just checked Celebrity and it's stating AZ is accepted with no caveats about US sailings.

Note that it does say that certain countries we visit or sail from May require a specific vaccine. My agent contacted her Canadian sales rep for Celebrity and was told that it will not be accepted for US sailings.  I’m waiting to hear about a refund because what good is a future cruise credit if I can’t use it. And obviously they are saying it’s unsafe for me to travel with the AZ vaccine. Even though it’s scientifically proven to be more effective than the Johnson & Johnson vaccine that so many Americans received. 

[Harters]

14 hours ago, brontravel said:

Has anyone found a cruise line that will accept AZ for US departures?

Oceania - as my post immediately before yours.

[flossie009]

15 hours ago, brontravel said:

My agent contacted her Canadian sales rep for Celebrity and was told that it will not be accepted for US sailings.

 

I would press them again as it appears they are working with out of date information.

As far as I am aware all the cruise lines are now accepting all vaccines approved for emergency use by W.H.O. (including a double dose of Astra Zeneca).

The only issue now is that mixed doses are not currently accepted on U.S. sailings i.e. those that had, say, a first shot of AZ then the second shot of Pf-B.

As I understand your previous post 8 you have had a double dose of AZ; which should be acceptable to most, if not all, cruise lines sailing out of U.S. ports.

 

Edited August 6, 2021 by flossie009

[John Bull]

To sail out of the USA, first you have to get to the USA.

And my information, including updates to yesterday, is that other than a few obscure & irrelevant exceptions Brits & EU citizens cannot enter the USA. This is regardless of any vaccinations or tests.

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/usa

Am I missing something?

 

JB 🙂

[flossie009]

3 minutes ago, John Bull said:

Brits & EU citizens cannot enter the USA.

 

Correct, but we hope this changes before our cruise out of Miami scheduled for December.

 

Since the EU and UK are accepting fully vaccinated U.S. citizens it is to be hoped that there will be reciprocity once North America and Europe get through the present surge in covid cases.

 

[John Bull]

1 hour ago, flossie009 said:

 

Correct, but we hope this changes before our cruise out of Miami scheduled for December.

 

Since the EU and UK are accepting fully vaccinated U.S. citizens it is to be hoped that there will be reciprocity once North America and Europe get through the present surge in covid cases.

 

 

December is a little way off - yes, I think (and hope) that US immigration rules will have changed by then. And hopefully cruise line rules  - at least the recognition of AZ/Oxford vaccines by all cruise lines - will follow.

 

Right from the first lock-down I've shelved any plans for any form of travel to anywhere outside the UK because, as we've seen, restrictions can be applied or removed at very short notice - and that's a continuing trend.

But that doesn't stop me from crossing my fingers for you.

 

JB 🙂.