RCCL requires Drs, note

[blueridgemama]

There is no way your average doctor is going to have the time to see everyone who is 70 or over or who has a medical condition merely to give them a note saying they are ok to cruise. Most doctors are busy actually treating sick people.

I don't see a way forward using the "doctor note" Also would the doctor be at risk of getting sued if he gives the green light to cruise and something happens to the person?

Unfortunately I think that all cruises will be temporarily suspended for a period of time.

[Ocean Boy]

10 minutes ago, gerif said:

I’m over 70 and do not have a regular doctor. No flames, I do plan to get one. Anyway, when I had my hip replaced a few years ago I needed a doctor to sign off on the hospital’s pre-surgery form. I just went to one of those urgent care walk-in places where they did an exam and signed off on the papers. Easy, peasy. 

Easy peasy and good medical care are not necessarily the same.

[Pratique]

3 minutes ago, blueridgemama said:

Also would the doctor be at risk of getting sued if he gives the green light to cruise and something happens to the person?

My guess is that the cruise line is trying to absolve itself of liability. Whether a doctor's note will hold up in court is another story.

[gerif]

1 minute ago, Ocean Boy said:

Easy peasy and good medical care are not necessarily the same.

No one ever said they were. I’m talking about a form necessary for boarding a cruise at the last minute. You’re talking apples and oranges. 

[Ocean Boy]

1 hour ago, Greyfox50 said:

My feelings are their request is in violation of the HIPPA Act

 

My health is none of their business, and against the law to provide them documentation regarding my health

Whats next? Hotels..Airlines

https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/formsandpubs/laws/hipaa/Pages/1.00WhatisHIPAA.aspx

 

 

 

BullShit !!!

 

Actuay, the only thing that is BS is your post. The cruise lines most certainly can ask for the information. You do not have to consent to release of the info. They do not have to let you on their ship if you don't comply.

[Pratique]

This may also be an indirect way to force people to get a medical check before boarding, since there is only so much screening they can do at the port and people don't always answer the health questions honestly.

[Ocean Boy]

 

5 minutes ago, gerif said:

No one ever said they were. I’m talking about a form necessary for boarding a cruise at the last minute. You’re talking apples and oranges. 

No, you were talking clearance for major surgery. Get your apples and oranges straight.

[Joseph2017China]

7 hours ago, PTAngel said:

I have a question about this doctor note.  Does this mean you can't cruise if you have diabetes or serious complications from diabetes?  Can I cruise if I have diabetes but no heart, lung, liver or kidney disease or immunodeficiency chronic illness because of diabetes?

Nope, what it means is if you are over 70 go to the doctor and ask them, and not ask everyone else on Cruise Critic......if they sign off on it, than you can go.

[Ourusualbeach]

And how many of these notes are just going to be forged by travellers knowing that there is no way Royal will have the time or manpower to verify them all.  

[sellwingri]

There’s no word on how long this will be a requirement. Seniors are the bread and butter of cruise lines and if they have to jump through hoops to cruise on Royal, there are other lines available.  
 

 

[Ourusualbeach]

1 minute ago, sellwingri said:

There’s no word on how long this will be a requirement. Seniors are the bread and butter of cruise lines and if they have to jump through hoops to cruise on Royal, there are other lines available.  
 

 

All the major lines now have this policy.  It was part of CLIA’s submission to the government.

[CruisinNole]

I am over 70, have a cruise booked in late April and am waiting for Royal to wake up and follow the lead of other cruise lines who have cancelled their cruises. Royal's and Celebrity's insistence on a note from a doctor is not to protect the over 70s. It is to protect the cruise line's bottom line. Unlike Princess, Viking and Disney, it does nothing to help contain the virus or assist in not spreading it. 

[Ocean Boy]

2 minutes ago, CruisinNole said:

I am over 70, have a cruise booked in late April and am waiting for Royal to wake up and follow the lead of other cruise lines who have cancelled their cruises. Royal's and Celebrity's insistence on a note from a doctor is not to protect the over 70s. It is to protect the cruise line's bottom line. Unlike Princess, Viking and Disney, it does nothing to help contain the virus or assist in not spreading it. 

I cometwly agree, it does nothing to help contain the virus.

[Ourusualbeach]

6 minutes ago, CruisinNole said:

I am over 70, have a cruise booked in late April and am waiting for Royal to wake up and follow the lead of other cruise lines who have cancelled their cruises. Royal's and Celebrity's insistence on a note from a doctor is not to protect the over 70s. It is to protect the cruise line's bottom line. Unlike Princess, Viking and Disney, it does nothing to help contain the virus or assist in not spreading it. 

I agree however the over 70 is a requirement of CLIA and all its member cruiselines and not something that Royal and Celebrity started on their own. 

Edited March 13, 2020 by Ourusualbeach

[rtazz17]

15 minutes ago, CruisinNole said:

I am over 70, have a cruise booked in late April and am waiting for Royal to wake up and follow the lead of other cruise lines who have cancelled their cruises. Royal's and Celebrity's insistence on a note from a doctor is not to protect the over 70s. It is to protect the cruise line's bottom line. Unlike Princess, Viking and Disney, it does nothing to help contain the virus or assist in not spreading it. 

Just cancel your cruise and do your part if thats how you feel. Nobody is forcing you to go. Do your own right thing. They have a business they have other bottom lines. They might go bankrupt. So depending on them to make your decision is foolish. So you should prolly wake up and cancel your cruise. Be resposible for your actions and dont hope others make decision for you. Not trying to be mean here but your post doesnt make sense. Of course royals bottom line is guiding some decisions. It would guide anyones decision if it was going to take your own livelihood away. Its not simple...... 

Edited March 13, 2020 by rtazz17

[CruisinNole]

21 minutes ago, rtazz17 said:

Just cancel your cruise and do your part if thats how you feel. Nobody is forcing you to go. Do your own right thing. They have a business they have other bottom lines. They might go bankrupt. So depending on them to make your decision is foolish. So you should prolly wake up and cancel your cruise. Be resposible for your actions and dont hope others make decision for you. Not trying to be mean here but your post doesnt make sense. Of course royals bottom line is guiding some decisions. It would guide anyones decision if it was going to take your own livelihood away. Its not simple...... 

I am not waiting for Royal to cancel my cruise. I'm fully capable of making my own decisions. I just feel that the cruise lines who did cancel their cruises have stepped up as responsible corporate citizens. You don't think that the NBA, NHL, PGA aren't going to lose billions? Of course they are but they made a decision based on something other than the bottom line. 

[rabidstoat]

8 hours ago, Dennis#1 said:

Wonder how many cruisers age 70 or higher do not have at least one of the medical conditions listed.   Getting a doctor to sign such a note would be almost impossible for me.

 

Well the American Heart Association estimates that nearly half of Americans have heart disease. High blood pressure would be indicative of that.

[BeachChik]

9 hours ago, firefly333 said:

Nope, and this after the fact requiring a last minute doctors note, not me.

 

Once this cruise is over I wouldnt be cruising again until its removed. Not worth it to me to have to get on terms with a doctor (which I dont have presently) to cruise, nope nope nope.

 

I'm with op, I'll be done until this note garbage goes away. 

 

Praying they dont cancel my cruise, and then I can walk away and not have to worry about rebooking.

 

I'm not cancelling if rcl does, refund time and bye bye for a while.

 

So you won't cruise because you don't want to have a doctor?  It's not very smart as an adult to not be an established patient with a primary care doctor.

[Starry Eyes]

1 hour ago, Ourusualbeach said:

And how many of these notes are just going to be forged by travellers knowing that there is no way Royal will have the time or manpower to verify them all.  

Interesting point.  Looking at RCI’s form, the possibly of a scrawled, illegible or barely legible line in the signature area of many forms seems probable, making them impossible to verify regardless or manpower, whether signed by physician or not.

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/content/dam/royal/resources/pdf/rccl-approved-physician-letter.pdf

[molsonschooner]

9 hours ago, rt1092 said:

That is entirely up to you. But you must be super-human. To be over 70 and not have a doctor.

there are a lot of people(myself included) that don't have a doctor. There is a major shortage of doctors in Ontario, Canada

[molsonschooner]

16 minutes ago, BeachChik said:

 

So you won't cruise because you don't want to have a doctor?  It's not very smart as an adult to not be an established patient with a primary care doctor.

it has nothing to do with being smart. In some areas there is an extreme shortage of doctors. People are forced to use walk in clinics.

[LMaxwell]

Just got an email from our physicians office.  No More Walk Ins allowed.  Weekend Wellness checks cancelled.  They are switching their weekend hours to focus on patient care, not basic physicals.  They are having a spike in people coming in and need to manage the flow (which is what social distancing and NOT cruising is about).   This is in Palm Beach County, Florida. 

 

If you call and say you need clearance for a vacation I bet they hang up on you. 

Edited March 13, 2020 by LMaxwell

[LMaxwell]

1 hour ago, sellwingri said:

 if they have to jump through hoops to cruise on Royal...
 

 

...perhaps they should take that as a sign?  I think the industry thought a lot more people would heed the warnings and walkaway and the government agreed to those guidelines but they saw it really didn't deter enough people/enough people weren't "choosing correctly".  They tried to do it without draconian measures but they are coming shortly.  

[gatour]

11 hours ago, extramom said:

Just received an RCCL email at 10 pm for all passengers 70 & over will not be allowed to board unless they have a form from their Dr. stating they are well enough to travel.  Good luck getting a Drs.appointment on such short notice.  I guess we'll be cancelling or maybe wait for them to cancel all their cruises.  Good Bye RCCL

Based on the letter.  The doctor just needs to attest that there are no pre-existing underlying health issues.  If you have a doctor that you see regularly he would just needs to sign it.  No appointment necessary to do that.

 

From Royal's website a portion of the lette...

 

"I hereby certify that this patient does not suffer from any chronic illness (e.g. heart, lung, liver or kidney disease or immunodeficiency status due to HIV/AIDS or diabetes) which would make this patient susceptible to complications arising after infection with the Novel Coronavirus"

[Pratique]

Maybe your dentist can sign. Just a thought.