Posted on 06/07/2021 6:50:33 AM PDT by Capt. Tom
In the mass of news reports coming out in recent weeks, it’s easy to lose track of what cruise line requires a vaccination or which does not. The three biggest cruise lines have been busy ironing out their vaccination requirements.
Yet, Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Line all have different mandates. There are even requirements for different ships sailing in different regions of the United States and worldwide.
We shed light on what each cruise line requires and which ships do or do not require a mandatory vaccination to be able to sail onboard.
Carnival Cruise Line America’s Cruise Line President Christine Duffy has been quite vocal about not requiring vaccinations onboard the Carnival cruise ships. Instead, the cruise line wanted to focus on measures to mitigate the risk of infection onboard the ships.
However, in quite the turnaround, Christine Duffy announced this week on Good Morning America that she thinks the cruise line will be mandating vaccines for its guests onboard all ships.
Although the cruise line has decided to conduct test or simulated voyages, guests will then still need to be vaccinated. Christine Duffy said the protocols from the CDC do not allow Carnival Cruise Line to provide the guest experience that they would like to.
Christine Duffy said, “While there is a path for unvaccinated guests we really don’t think that the protocols allow us to deliver the guest experience that we want to be able to deliver. So, I think right now it looks like people will have to be vaccinated, but, again, the great news is that 50% of the adults have been vaccinated in the US.”
Carnival Cruise Line is heavily dependent on families with children cruising aboard its ships. Something that a vaccination mandate could make impossible at this point, especially for families with children younger than 12-years old. However, the cruise line is also looking into this:
“We are still hopeful that we will be able to further evolve and see these guidelines that will allow families with children under 12 who are not eligible (ed. For a vaccination). We are optimistic that we will be able to, eventually, welcome all of our families onboard.“
Duffy continued to say the cruise line is looking into the process of how guests would be able to prove they have indeed been vaccinated. Technological solutions by which guests could upload their proof of vaccination are being looked at by the cruise line; however, it could come down to guests having to show proof in the terminal before boarding.
While Carnival has already mandated vaccination proof on their voyages to Alaska onboard Carnival Miracle, it seems that the cruise line will be expanding its mandate to all ships in the fleet. Bearing in mind that the company has not yet come out with any official statements regarding a vaccination mandate onboard, nor has the website been updated to reflect the statements from Christine Duffy.
Royal Caribbean Cruise Line Royal Caribbean has been firmly in favor of sailing with vaccinated guests until last week. Royal Caribbean changed the wording on its website last week to vaccinations being ‘Strongly Recommended.’
Does this mean the cruise line is doing away with vaccines? No, not entirely.
Richard Fain, the Royal Caribbean parent company President and CEO, said this in a video message last week: “Royal Caribbean International is likely to take a somewhat different route. Like our other brands, everyone who’s eligible for a vaccine will be expected to have one. However, children under 12 can’t yet get the shot. And Royal Caribbean International carries a lot of families. Families are important to us. On these cruises, we may not reach the ninety five percent threshold, but even here the vast majority will be vaccinated.”
The company is still requiring vaccinations on its cruises to Alaska from Seattle and Bahamas cruises. All other voyages from the United States are now moved to the strongly recommended status. The company website now states the following:
For Cruises Departing from Seattle or The Bahamas guests age 16 and older departing from Seattle and Nassau, Bahamas on Serenade of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas, or Adventure of the Seas 2021 cruises must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 at the time of sailing. Starting August 1, the age requirement for vaccination changes from 16 to 12 years of age. Guests under the age of this requirement don’t need to be vaccinated and will receive a SARS-Cov-2 test before boarding.
For guests on cruises from other international ports, the cruise line still requires guests to be fully vaccinated at least 14 days before the sailing date.
Norwegian Cruise Line Norwegian Cruise Line has made things a little easier on itself. With a guest profile somewhat older than guests onboard the competition’s ships, the cruise line can mandate a vaccine quite easily.
For months now, the cruise line has said it would only set sail with 100% vaccinated guests and crew onboard its ships. The cruise line is mandating mandatory vaccinations for all onboard for all voyages through October 31, 2021, according to the website:
All guests and crew must be fully vaccinated at least two weeks before departure, in order to board. Guest vaccination requirements are currently for all sailings embarking through October 31, 2021- we will follow the science to make determinations on requirements for all other future sailings.
Norwegian Cruise Line Ship Funnel Photo Credit: ackats / Shutterstock.com
For Norwegian Cruise Line, these rules seem to be set in stone and will not change. Company President and CEO Frank Del Rio has spoken out repeatedly on the issues, even threatening to pull his ships out of Florida if the State does not allow the cruise line to make a mandate.
NCLH President and CEO Frank Del Rio: “At the end of the day, cruise ships have motors, propellers and rudders, and God forbid we can’t operate in the State of Florida for whatever reason, then there are other states that we do operate from. And we can operate from the Caribbean for ships that otherwise would’ve gone to Florida.”
As it stands, the situation is that Carnival has reverted to mandating vaccines, Royal Caribbean has reverted to not requiring them, and Norwegian Cruise Line remains on the same course. This could all change quite suddenly if Florida Governor DeSantis’ bill banning vaccine mandates is pushed through or dropped altogether.
For now, the cruise lines seem to focus on different solutions that they believe will suit them best. Which one will come out on top, and chose the correct measures we will know before the end of the month. Keep following Cruise Hive for the last updates on this crucial subj
At this time I don't think they're scrambling for a vaccine solution, rather a government solution. For better or worse some lines have adopted a vaccine requirement. Personally I think a private business should be able to do that. Though the CDC doesn't require it, they seem to be in favor, and it impacts the mobility of guests onboard. Florida bans private vaccine requirements, essentially making it illegal for the lines to operate. Can't satisfy the CDC without breaking Florida law. That seems to be the impasse. Personally not exempting cruise line from the Florida ban strikes me as foolish, not only due to the economic cost, but the fact that they're involved in international transportation dealing with the laws of a multitude of states and nations. Should a truck line require vaccination I doubt FL bans them from the state. Same for the US Navy, which if it hasn't yet has stated vaccination will be required. How about airlines, should they adopt a requirement? Can't land in Florida.
Should have added these are matters for the courts, which is an obvious negative for the cruise lines due to the potential delays, along with the fact it means lawsuits against two governments whose approval are required. Moving out of Florida to other ports works for a few ships, but the port capacity isn’t out there.
They keep ignoring (either intentionally or ignorantly) the fact that millions who have had Covid are immune...WITHOUT the vaccine. My wife and are in that category. Aren’t vaccines supposed to make you immune? Just like getting the actual virus? Yeah...thought so. Even so, it is none of their business as to whether we have had Covid or the vaccine. If you have the vaccine, you should not have to worry about others who have not. Wear a mask, social distance, stay in your cabin, do whatever you have to do to protect yourself.
Needless to say, until the cruise lines drop all of their silly Covid rules, we will be traveling using other means.
“I second that motion about thanking Capt. Tom.”
I third it. Always good info.
The odd thing is that there is absolutely no evidence for someone getting Covid from a surface. The overwhelming majority of cases are due to people being in close proximity to an infected person. So all of the bleach and hydrogen peroxide used to clean places is in vain.
“we will be traveling using other means.”
We’re assuming the left-tards will demand that freedom-loving sane people buckle to tyranny, and cruises won’t be be do-able. I went through my cruise-wear (veddy nice!) and sent it to the thrift shop, which opened up a nice section of my closet. If we do cruise again we’ll buy new stuff.
I’ll be hard to give it up, having cruised since the late ‘70s on Sitmar.
Screw em.
Bought a motorhome.
Americans are very welcoming.
I personally know 4 people , some close friends who have had COVID.
My closest friend had it many months ago, but got talked into getting the vaccine by his doctor.
About a week after he got his vaccination, the so-called experts in the medical profession said you don't need the vaccine if you recuperated from Covid because your immune system will give you protection; and the vaccine may be detrimental to that immunity.
Confusion still reigns on this virus.-Tom
The CDC does NOT TRULY have this power to RUIN people and Companies! They MUST be reined in!!
My experience with courts, having been there as a juror, witness, and once held in contempt by a Federal judge in Boston.(Judge Skinner)is that the courts operate in a different world.
So avoiding a drawn out or appealed court decision is the way to go for the Cruise Lines. - Tom
My experience with courts, having been there as a juror, witness, and once held in contempt by a Federal judge in Boston.(Judge Skinner)is that the courts operate in a different world.
So avoiding a drawn out or appealed court decision is the way to go for the Cruise Lines. - Tom
I see you are still posting this pro vax crap after going silent in threads where I destroyed you.
Ignoramus.
Please do not show up on my cruise ship in September. That is not too much to ask, is it?
I don’t think Florida vaccine requirement law is that onerous. IIRC the law is only about banning vaccine passports. Gov DeSantis is not the type to micromanage how private businesses can operate.
A vaccine passport would make it faster to check vaccine status. To look through vaccine papers issued by pharmacies takes more time. But then people will have to pay additional costs to acquire those vaccine passports.
You quit flapping your jaw about things you are completely out of your depth on and I will not show up on your cruise.
Deal?
You quit flapping your jaw about things you are completely out of your depth on and I will not show up on your cruise.
Deal?
You are probably right about immunity acquired via actual exposure to covid. However a cruise line can not determine that quickly while checking you in to board. A recent cruise on Oasis of the Seas, they checked in 6000 passengers in a few hours. If the ship has to test immunity of non-vaxxed passengers it would be much much longer.
Stop posting same message twice. Waste of FR band width. And I place unhinged posters on ignore.
Ignore away (please point out the ignore function as I am unaware of it...) and again you show your ineptitude. FR is not 100% thread safe and sometimes double postings occur. Usually this is under very heavy CPU load, but it can happen anytime. I don’t expect you to understand since you are not exactly technically nor scientifically adept as you have shown with your absolute certainty the Vaccines are 100% safe.
High rise or curb. Neither one of us knows which one you jumped from.
Dunning Kruger.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/dunning-kruger-effect
You are a poster child.
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