Unvaccinated on Princess

[Waynetor]

Wondering if anyone that has been on a recent cruise knows if Princess is allowing medically exempt passengers without vaccine onboard and if so, are these passengers being subject to extra testing and are they easily identifiable to crew and passengers. 

[Shmoo here]

13 minutes ago, Waynetor said:

Wondering if anyone that has been on a recent cruise knows if Princess is allowing medically exempt passengers without vaccine onboard and if so, are these passengers being subject to extra testing and are they easily identifiable to crew and passengers. 

I doubt they are allowing anyone unvaccinated to cruise.  This is from the Princess website:

Guests must have the following:

• Received their final dose of an authorized COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days before the beginning of the cruise
• Proof of vaccination
• Have proof of a negative viral COVID-19 test (PCR or antigen) taken within 2 days of their embarkation
• Be required to wear a face mask indoors at all times and outdoors when physical distancing cannot be maintained

Are these cruises only available to COVID-19 vaccinated guests?

Yes. In accordance with health authority directives, these cruises will be operated as vaccinated cruises, as defined by the CDC, with guests and crew vaccination rates approaching 100%. These cruises are available for guests who have received their final dose of an authorized/approved COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days prior to the beginning of the cruise and have proof of vaccination, in accordance with CDC guidelines.

Proof of COVID-19 vaccination and the dates given will be required and will need to be shown at the terminal prior to boarding. Failure to provide this evidence will result in denial of boarding.

As the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine becomes available to children 5-11 years old, following the CDC’s recommendation, we look forward to welcoming fully vaccinated children from the age of 5 and above. If you are unlikely to be fully vaccinated at the time of departure, please refer to our Book with Confidence Policy.

Guests should always ensure they understand all requirements to travel from their home country and the destinations they plan to visit. Details continue to be updated regularly and official websites and apps developed by government agencies and tourism ministries are the recommended resources.

 

https://www.princess.com/plan/cruise-with-confidence/cruise-health/frequently-asked-questions/us-cruises/

[mjmalino]

11 minutes ago, Waynetor said:

Wondering if anyone that has been on a recent cruise knows if Princess is allowing medically exempt passengers without vaccine onboard and if so, are these passengers being subject to extra testing and are they easily identifiable to crew and passengers. 

From what I understand, Princess is allowing a SMALL amount of medically exempt passengers without vaccines onboard. According to the website "Even if you've received a vaccination exemption, you're still required to take a negative PCR test within two days of embarkation and will be tested again in the terminal before boarding the ship and again within 24 hours of disembarkation (for itineraries five days or longer). Unvaccinated guests will be charged $150 per person for testing and administration."

[Steelers36]

18 minutes ago, Waynetor said:

Wondering if anyone that has been on a recent cruise knows if Princess is allowing medically exempt passengers without vaccine onboard and if so, are these passengers being subject to extra testing and are they easily identifiable to crew and passengers. 

On another thread, someone indicated that they heard an unvaccinated person was approved to cruise after submitting a medical letter from their MD. 

 

Another poster thought they should be identifiable.  I don't agree with your suggestion or that other poster.  The unvaccinated should not be going around like a character from The Scarlet Letter and be stigmatized.  They should be expected to follow whatever protocols or conditions that Princess imposes and perhaps that includes regular testing during the voyage.  IDK and not my business.

 

Unless you have been living a hermit life, you will be out in public in Ontario as we are with vaccinated, partially-vaccinated, and unvaccinated and we don't know who is who.

 

 

[Waynetor]

It was the other post that got me to ask if anyone has first hand knowledge of what Princess has actually been doing.  That post indicates the person got a medical exemption but people that know her say it was a political decision over true medical.  If so, a person that misleads to get an exemption, I would think the person is more likely not to follow rules once on board. 

[Luckiestmanonearth]

I would hope that they would only accept medical exemption and not political beliefs.

I would also hope that medical exemption still means daily testing is needed for that person

[iamaqt2]

17 minutes ago, Waynetor said:

It was the other post that got me to ask if anyone has first hand knowledge of what Princess has actually been doing.  That post indicates the person got a medical exemption but people that know her say it was a political decision over true medical.  If so, a person that misleads to get an exemption, I would think the person is more likely not to follow rules once on board. 

Waynetor,  once on the cruise it won't matter.  Everyone has to test negative to board.  I just got off the Sky 2 weeks ago, and for the most part, everyone was following the rules.  There were always a few in the theater who couldn't manage to keep their mask on despite multiple reminders before the show, or you'd have people walk into the elevator without one.  Princess isn't actually enforcing the rules.  They're relying on the passengers to follow the rules.

 

I'm the most diligent of maskers, and one time I even forgot when leaving the lido to go back to my room.  I don't think most people not wearing one do it on purpose, but simply forget when moving between venues.

[satxdiver]

We do not cruise on Princess until February but have spent three weeks on two different cruise lines so far.  On RCCL we were given armbands to wear that signified we were vaxed.  The ship had locations for vaxed and other pax.  Certain MDR were for vaxed only while they did offer one MDR for the other group.  The first deck of the theater was for vaxed only while the upper deck was for anyone.  They did check for armbands at both the theater and MDR.  We certainly did not object to wearing the armband and made it easier to identify the pax we may not want to associate.  On the other cruise line sister to Princess they just relied on everyone telling the truth which is very foolish in my opinion.  We tried to stay away from all the other pax.  This may well be what we will do in February on our first return to Princess.  

[Bridalgownz]

We got off the Majestic Princess yesterday.  We all had to show our vax cards and negative Covid test taken 2 days before sailing to board the ship.  It seemed like everyone wore their masks, including staff, unless they were eating or drinking.  People obeyed the 6 to an elevator rule.  Everywhere there were staff cleaning and disinfecting. It seemed like every precaution was taken to keep everyone safe.  I did overhear a staff member say that one man was in quarantine, but that person was vaccinated.  It did seem really safe onboard.  

 

[caribill]

4 hours ago, iamaqt2 said:

 once on the cruise it won't matter.  Everyone has to test negative to board. 

 

It does matter since the negative test only shows you did not have a detectable level of Covid at the time of the test. During the cruise an infected person who had a negative test before the cruise could end up with a detectable (and transmissible) infection mid-cruise.

 

A recent NCL cruise docked with at least 17 known cases, all without symptoms, of Covid-18. The reason they knew about the cases was during the cruise they tested everyone on board (probably because a new crew member in quarantine had tested positive). The passengers involved had negative tests pre-cruise. My thinking is they were infected when they boarded, but not at detectable levels pre-cruise.

 

I suspect if every Princess passenger on a ship was tested near the end of a cruise there would be some positive results.

 

In my opinion, cruising with Princess provides as good an environment for avoiding Covid as possible, much better than on land unless you never leave your home. However, it is not a guarantee of 100% avoidance of being infected.

[Coral]

I have heard that they are allowing some children under the age of 5 who are not vaccinated (as they can't get vaccinated). It must be cleared by Princess. I know nothing else as far as what is required once they are onboard.

[Coral]

4 hours ago, iamaqt2 said:

Waynetor,  once on the cruise it won't matter.  Everyone has to test negative to board. 

I think it does matter some. I will be at 3 airports today. While I am fully vaccinated with booster, I can still get COVID from when I tested to when I get on the ship. I am less likely to get it as fully vaccinated but someone who isn't and travels is more likely.

Edited December 20, 2021 by Coral

[caribill]

10 minutes ago, Coral said:

I have heard that they are allowing some children under the age of 5 who are not vaccinated (as they can't get vaccinated). It must be cleared by Princess. I know nothing else as far as what is required once they are onboard.

 

From the Princess web site:

 

These cruises are available for guests who have received their final dose of an authorized/approved COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days prior to the beginning of the cruise and have proof of vaccination, in accordance with CDC guidelines.

 

As the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine becomes available to children 5-11 years old, following the CDC’s recommendation, we look forward to welcoming fully vaccinated children from the age of 5 and above.

[Coral]

1 hour ago, caribill said:

 

From the Princess web site:

 

These cruises are available for guests who have received their final dose of an authorized/approved COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days prior to the beginning of the cruise and have proof of vaccination, in accordance with CDC guidelines.

 

As the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine becomes available to children 5-11 years old, following the CDC’s recommendation, we look forward to welcoming fully vaccinated children from the age of 5 and above.

I heard from a very reliable source that some children under the age of 5 were being allowed onboard. I trust this source. They were limiting numbers though.

Edited December 20, 2021 by Coral

[pms4104]

3 hours ago, Coral said:

I heard from a very reliable source that some children under the age of 5 were being allowed onboard. I trust this source. They were limiting numbers though.

I wonder if those kiddos will be permitted in the kids programs.

[donaldsc]

4 hours ago, pms4104 said:

I wonder if those kiddos will be permitted in the kids programs.

 

Do they even have kids programs now?

 

DON

[Steelers36]

16 hours ago, Waynetor said:

It was the other post that got me to ask if anyone has first hand knowledge of what Princess has actually been doing.  That post indicates the person got a medical exemption but people that know her say it was a political decision over true medical.  If so, a person that misleads to get an exemption, I would think the person is more likely not to follow rules once on board. 

In a way, it is gossip.  I really doubt the person's MD gave them a letter for a political bent and that the patient asked for an exemption letter because they didn't agree with vaccine mandate.  As for rules, well there isn't a way to know and some do more and some do less and it may not be because of politics.

[dog]

On 12/20/2021 at 1:23 AM, Bridalgownz said:

We got off the Majestic Princess yesterday.  We all had to show our vax cards and negative Covid test taken 2 days before sailing to board the ship.  It seemed like everyone wore their masks, including staff, unless they were eating or drinking.  People obeyed the 6 to an elevator rule.  Everywhere there were staff cleaning and disinfecting. It seemed like every precaution was taken to keep everyone safe.  I did overhear a staff member say that one man was in quarantine, but that person was vaccinated.  It did seem really safe onboard.  

 

Thanks for sharing your first hand knowledge with us!

Hope you had a wonderful cruise. Stay safe 

[Daniel A]

19 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

In a way, it is gossip.  I really doubt the person's MD gave them a letter for a political bent and that the patient asked for an exemption letter because they didn't agree with vaccine mandate.  As for rules, well there isn't a way to know and some do more and some do less and it may not be because of politics.

In maritime environments it's called scuttlebutt, but the concept is the same. 🙂  Unless the original poster has full access to the other person's medical records, they're just spreading scuttlebutt and it is nothing more.  Consider the original source of the information and act on it from there....

 

I for one don't believe for a minute that Princess is exempting passengers from the health protocols because of their politics.  Any exemption would have likely required extensive medical documentation, not just a doctor's note excusing them from gym class.  👨‍🔬 

[Coral]

19 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

In a way, it is gossip.  I really doubt the person's MD gave them a letter for a political bent and that the patient asked for an exemption letter because they didn't agree with vaccine mandate.  As for rules, well there isn't a way to know and some do more and some do less and it may not be because of politics.

It is widely known that there is a doctor in my state who gave college students an exemption from having to be vaccinated to attend a college that requires vaccinations.

 

As far as requiring more information - I would believe that would violate HIPAA.

Edited December 21, 2021 by Coral

[PrincessLuver]

On 12/20/2021 at 11:13 AM, Steelers36 said:

In a way, it is gossip.  I really doubt the person's MD gave them a letter for a political bent and that the patient asked for an exemption letter because they didn't agree with vaccine mandate.  As for rules, well there isn't a way to know and some do more and some do less and it may not be because of politics.

 

It is true.....she is very proud of it to have beaten the system and Princess co-signed the behavior......how many others have they caved too?  They will not say of course.

[Ellaleah]

No vaccination, no cruise!  It is not a God given right.  Many people have things that they cannot do because of their condition.  There are many excursions for which that I might not qualify.  I don’t want to be on a ship with unvaccinated and I don’t think that is at all unreasonable with present conditions.  3 shots should be a qualifier!