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Posted on 12/17/2021 1:10:01 PM PST by Capt. Tom
Norwegian Cruise Line updates its protocols by notifying guests to wear a mask indoors except while eating or drinking and outdoors when social distancing is not possible. In an email sent to booked guests, Norwegian Cruise Line has updated its onboard mask policy to ask guests to wear masks while indoors as well as outdoors when social distancing cannot be maintained. This is an abrupt change from the line’s fully-vaccinated “cruise mask-free” policy, and has been made without warning.
Norwegian Cruise Line “Asking” Guests to Wear Masks Guests booked on sailings of Norwegian Escape, Norwegian Joy, Norwegian Breakaway, and Norwegian Gem have received notification emails that the health and safety protocols onboard their upcoming sailings – as early as tomorrow, December 18, 2021 – have been changed.
Masks should now be worn on board in indoor areas unless passengers are actively eating or drinking or while in passengers’ staterooms. Masks must also be worn in any outdoor areas where social distancing cannot be maintained.
While the email’s language does say they are “asking” guests to wear masks and does not use the word “required” this amounts to a direct change of the line’s “cruise mask-free” policy in recent weeks, a policy for NCL’s fully-vaccinated sailings that many cruise passengers have appreciated.
The email goes on to reiterate the cruise line’s vaccination and pre-cruise testing protocols, which have not been changed. Guests who do not comply with the requirements listed in the email will be denied embarkation for their cruise without any refund or compensation.
The line’s official website has not yet been updated about this change in protocol and there is no confirmation as to whether this is a fleet-wide change or how long the protocol may be in effect.
Short Notice Changes
This notification email has been sent to guests just days, even hours, before their cruises set sail, including the December 18, 2021 sailings of Norwegian Escape from Port Canaveral and Norwegian Joy from PortMiami, the December 19, 2021 sailing of Norwegian Breakaway from New Orleans, and the December 19, 2021 sailing of Norwegian Gem from New York. Additional ships may also be impacted by this change.
Norwegian Breakaway recently made headline news for multiple COVID-19 cases onboard, a total of 17 documented cases out of roughly 3,200 passengers and crew. The cruise with those cases returned to New Orleans on schedule and debarked as normal on December 6.
According to the CDC Cruise Ship Color Status, updated with data from December 16, no Norwegian vessels have “red” status indicating a severe outbreak. All four ships where passengers have confirmed receiving the notification email of new protocols – Breakaway, Escape, Joy, and Gem – are listed as “green” status which indicates no reported cases of COVID-19.
No Compensation Offered At this time, Norwegian Cruise Line is not offering any refunds, future cruise credits, rebooking options, or other compensation for affected passengers who may wish to change their travel plans because of the dramatic change in protocols. It is possible that the line may change that policy in the next few hours, as this is a developing situation.
Stay tuned to Cruise Hive for further updates and more details as they become available.
If they don't; I believe Norwegian Cruise Line will have further shot themselves in the foot. -Tom
Covid Incubator Cruise Line 🤪
what about during hook ups?? just saying.
“No Compensation Offered At this time,...”
It would seem to me that if they changed the terms of the agreement after you bought the ticket you would be entitled to a refund. Who would want to take a cruise and have to wear a mask?
No doubt this last-minute change is going to cause plenty of passengers some grief. -Tom
The commies in charge of the fake pandemic say 25 person orgies are a-ok.
Pandemic is still raging so masks didn’t help....or is there an argument that “it would have been worse without them”?
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Im not surprised that the NCL Breakaway was allowed to sail again the same day she returned to NOLA with 20+ cases of the Wu Hu Flu ... Dec 5
Its not about the disease its about control/money
Must be time to short these stocks to zero?
Masking at sea...ridiculous
....and of course it would extend to any island you visit......any hot, dry, arid, stifling island
How miserable
That was the exact policy on my cruise with MSC cruise line in September, and same with RCCL cruise in November, and exactly same policy on my next 2 cruises coming up in January and February. My wife and I did not find it hard to comply.
No one checked how snug our masks were. We kept them loose for better breathing. During stage shows with lights off, our masks were really loose LOL.
Asymptomatic Cases mean very little, deaths mean something. If they checked us for influenza, there will be plenty of asymptomatic “cases” as well, and no one cares.
So we’re back to masks... Good thing those “safe and effective” vaccines work so well. We’ll be able to end this thing any day now...well, any week now...maybe in a few months...a year? Or the fascists will just continue on their power trip until we strip them of their powers.
When I cruised in August many people stayed on board because of the mask policies in the ports ...
‘We kept them loose for better breathing.’
you win the ‘Missing the Point’ championship trophy...
It makes me wonder how these cruise lines that are BILLIONS of dollars in debt are going to turn things around without a bankruptcy filing. -Tom
You win the superbowl trophy for cooking at home, washing dirty dishes, vacuuming floors, making beds and other chores.
On the ship someone else did those for us.
Cruises are lovely....
...I’m still not going on one wearing a mask
Take it from me, Guenevere, it was no big deal during last 2 cruises in September & November. My wife has stage-4 in both lungs, and if she could handle the masks without much problem, any one can. So now we signed up 2 more, one in January and one in February.
DO not miss out on the incredible deals right now. We booked a balcony cabin for 2 with taxes and gratuities included for just a little over $500 for a 4 day cruise on Carnival. The staff is so happy to see passengers after 1.5 years without work, they are going out of their way to please. And ships are barely half full, so no lines.
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