From Celebrity: What is this all about?

[dockman]

August 10, 2021 Dear Guest, We are reaching out to provide an update on the status of your 2021 cruise vacation. Celebrity Cruises has been working closely with health and government authorities, in each country we sail from, to outline a clear path for cruising with new health and safety measures. As we continue our return to service with sailings arriving and departing from the United States, we are also ensuring alignment with guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC has currently advised any ship returning to the US after having traveled in international waters may not sail with guests onboard for at least 14 days. Due to this necessary requirement we will be cancelling the Celebrity Summit® sailings of August 28, 2021, September 2, 2021, September 6, 2021 and September 11, 2021. At this time, we would like to offer you the choice of being re-accommodated on another Caribbean cruise or a 100% Refund. From now through August 17, you have the option of rescheduling your cruise vacation to any Caribbean sailing aboard Celebrity Summit departing between September 16, 2021 and October 30,2021. Just contact us or your travel partner for details and your reservation will be shifted at the same daily rate including any promotion you currently have on the booking. Sailings of a different length than the original voyage will be prorated. Please note, all Celebrity Cruises ships will sail with a vaccinated crew and at least 95% of guests fully vaccinated. Guests 12 years and older must be fully vaccinated with all COVID-19 vaccine doses administered at least 14 days prior to sailing. For details on our current health and safety protocols please visit www.healthyatsea.com. If you are unable to rebook by August 17, you will automatically receive a 100% refund to your original method of payment. Cruise taxes and fees will be refunded separately within 30 days of cancellation. No action is required on your part to receive this refund. If you have pre-booked any shore excursions, beverage, internet, specialty dining or other onboard packages, through Celebrity Cruise Planner, you will be refunded in full to your original method of payment. Guests with independent arrangements should contact their tour operators as soon as possible. Guests with air travel and hotel booked through Flights by Celebrity will be refunded automatically. You will not need to call in to initiate the process. Guests with independent air arrangements need to contact their air carriers directly to make all required cancellations. First and always, please take care of yourselves and your family. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through these unique circumstances. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Celebrity Cruises at 1-844-418-6824 in North America or (316) 554-5961 worldwide. We look forward to w

[Jadn13]

The ship has to be empty for 14 days with only crew after sailing from a foreign country back to the US.

The CDC said that this is fluid and may not apply for later cruise, for example October TA’s 

a short video explanation 

https://youtu.be/BSyGDSieJS0

 

Edited August 12, 2021 by Jadn13

[TinaLee]

It means the ships they currently having sailing from a port that is not in the US (Caribbean, Greece, UK, etc) has to have no paying passengers for 14 days before it can begin sailing from US ports. Doesn't affect any of the ships currently sailing from the US under CDC guidelines and CSO. 

[Essiesmom]

Interesting that when Crystal Serenity was sailing from Nassau and Bimini in Bahamas only…added Miami as port call/embarkation, they did not have to quarantine 14 days…. EM

[dockman]

29 minutes ago, TinaLee said:

It means the ships they currently having sailing from a port that is not in the US (Caribbean, Greece, UK, etc) has to have no paying passengers for 14 days before it can begin sailing from US ports. Doesn't affect any of the ships currently sailing from the US under CDC guidelines and CSO. 

 

The CDC has currently advised any ship returning to the US after having traveled in international waters may not sail with guests onboard for at least 14 days

 

so Caribbean cruises are not international waters?

[wowzz]

What does that mean for Sky, which is sailing from Southampton back to the US on Nov 5th ? If it sails back with no passengers, does the 14 days include the trans Atlantic crossing,  or does the 14 days start once the ship docks in Florida? 

I ask because we are on the last European cruise of the season,  and I am wondering if Princess will cancel it, so as to be able to commence Caribbean cruises without delay.

Edited August 12, 2021 by wowzz

[dockman]

28 minutes ago, Essiesmom said:

Interesting that when Crystal Serenity was sailing from Nassau and Bimini in Bahamas only…added Miami as port call/embarkation, they did not have to quarantine 14 days…. EM

good question

[tillys mom]

Watch the video- Tony makes it very clear. 

[TinaLee]

22 minutes ago, dockman said:

 

The CDC has currently advised any ship returning to the US after having traveled in international waters may not sail with guests onboard for at least 14 days

 

so Caribbean cruises are not international waters?

The statement quoted from Celebrity above is misleading and confusing. If this were the case, cruise ships would only be sailing every three weeks. The actual wording on the CDC requirement states that all ships operating with passengers with a homeport outside the US will not be eligible to enter US waters until 14 days after the last passenger disembarks. 

[wowzz]

15 minutes ago, tillys mom said:

Watch the video- Tony makes it very clear. 

What is clear, is that the situation regarding TA transits is unclear! 

[TinaLee]

43 minutes ago, wowzz said:

What does that mean for Sky, which is sailing from Southampton back to the US on Nov 5th ? If it sails back with no passengers, does the 14 days include the trans Atlantic crossing,  or does the 14 days start once the ship docks in Florida? 

I ask because we are on the last European cruise of the season,  and I am wondering if Princess will cancel it, so as to be able to commence Caribbean cruises without delay.

She's not allowed back in US waters until she has completed her 14 days with no passengers, so she could leave Southhampton a week after the last passenger disembarks in the UK and sail back to the US and meet the guidelines. 

[mellon1]

2 hours ago, TinaLee said:

The statement quoted from Celebrity above is misleading and confusing. If this were the case, cruise ships would only be sailing every three weeks. The actual wording on the CDC requirement states that all ships operating with passengers with a homeport outside the US will not be eligible to enter US waters until 14 days after the last passenger disembarks. 

Thanks for clarifying...well appreciated by me for sure.

[jg51]

18 hours ago, wowzz said:

What does that mean for Sky, which is sailing from Southampton back to the US on Nov 5th ? If it sails back with no passengers, does the 14 days include the trans Atlantic crossing,  or does the 14 days start once the ship docks in Florida? ...

 

17 hours ago, TinaLee said:

She's not allowed back in US waters until she has completed her 14 days with no passengers, so she could leave Southhampton a week after the last passenger disembarks in the UK and sail back to the US and meet the guidelines. 

.

We can confirm what you stated, "TinaLee," because something similar has already taken place (although not involving a transatlantic voyage).

 

The Celebrity Millennium had four week-long cruises out of Sint Maarten (June 5, 12, 19, and 26), with passengers disembarking the last time on July 3.  Then the Celebrity Summit took over the Caribbean-cruising duties on July 3.

 

What did the Millennium then do?  She sailed (empty) for twenty days -- from July 3 to July 23 -- through the Panama Canal to Seattle, in order to be permitted to begin her Alaska season on July 23.

.

Unless the situation changes (regarding CDC rules), it certainly appears as though the Silhouette and Apex may have to make their transatlantic journeys without any passengers aboard.

 

A second option would be for those ships to cross the ocean with passengers aboard, but to cancel their Caribbean cruises that are now booked for the subsequent two weeks.

 

A final option would be for Celebrity to decide not to abide by the CDC restriction (if it is still in place), assuming that it would still be considered non-binding [as so far decided by the courts].

.

Edited August 13, 2021 by jg51

[Jeremiah1212]

19 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

Interesting that when Crystal Serenity was sailing from Nassau and Bimini in Bahamas only…added Miami as port call/embarkation, they did not have to quarantine 14 days…. EM

 

Crystal publicly said they were choosing not to follow the CDC/CSO guidance when it came to this issue. The CDC also said as a result of choosing not to follow CSO guidance, the Coast Guard would enforce mandatory masks onboard which apparently Crystal is not abiding by either. 

[Plum Happy]

What would this do to the Panama Canal cruise that is scheduled for October 27th through November 11th?  Does this count and will they allow the two cruises afterwards, the 4 nights on the 11th and the 10 nights on November 15th to continue or will there be a round of cancellations?

 

 

Edited August 13, 2021 by Plum Happy

[canderson]

8 minutes ago, Plum Happy said:

What would this do to the Panama Canal cruise that is scheduled for October 27th through November 11th?  Does this count and will they allow the two cruises afterwards, the 4 nights on the 11th and the 10 nights on November 15th to continue or will there be a round of cancellations?

 

 

To avoid a lot of lookup on our part, unless someone knows it already, it would help to know which ship.

Whether it impacts that cruise or not depends entirely on where that ship has already been and when.