Update may be good news for 70 or older

[Sunshine3601]

Princess has begun sending out emails with a link to their website for updates as well as the link to this 7 page document dated April 14th.

https://www.princess.com/downloads/pdf/plan/Health-Advisory-and-Travel-Safety-Procedures.pdf?cid=dm_email_info_internal_newsletter_others_pf0ms080_200421_weekly_KPI2FPNQY6EJGP2LSJ6ICSI7ME&eccn=KPI2FPNQY6EJGP2LSJ6ICSI7ME&rrid=8602129929&mi_u=8602129929

No mention of 70 or older being banned without doctors note.

Does state if you have any severe / chronic underlying issues you will be denied boarding.  Recommends you call to discuss prior to cruise date to discuss any health issues. 

If you lie about a health issue and they find out they will have to get off ship at next available port.

 

Nice to at least see some plans of action. In writing by one of the cruise lines.  Hopefully royal will issue something soon.

[JT1962]

Yes, Princess will not require a Dr’s note or ban passengers based on age. They will require a more extensive health questionnaire, basic health screening and possible extensive health check by medical personnel for some at the pier before you will be allowed to board. If you do not meet their requirements (whatever that is), you will not be allowed to board. So a healthy 85 year old may be allowed to sail while a 22 year old with mild controlled asthma may be denied sailing.

 

Also, as you mentioned, if they find out you were dishonest on the questionnaire or misleading about possible symptoms, you will be disembarked at the next possible location and may also be held legally liable. Does that mean if you did not inform them you had a scratchy throat, and then test positive for Covid-19 while on the cruise and others become infected, you will be billed / sued for the cost of treating others and any expenses incurred by the cruise line for possible quarantines and other expenses incurred by the cruise line?

 

I certainly would want to find out more details before agreeing to those terms when boarding any ship.

 

 

[bren61]

So someone age 67 with previous lung issues not requiring O2 will be denied boarding?

[not-enough-cruising]

The Dr not for those 79 and older was never a cruise line edict; it was a policy of the CLIA; and no one knows if it will or will not be a part of the ultimate plan to resume operations (at least in the early stages) 

[pcur]

I got that email, and called Princess this morning to get more information.  I asked about "chronic" conditions, and she said they were primarily interested in people with severely compromised immune systems (HIV-positive; COPD, lung issues, asthma), or people with cancer.

 

I asked about having a doctor verify "safe to travel" with a letter, after-visit report, etc.  She said it was not required, but it's an excellent idea to bring one.  She said the situation is so fluid that it would help to be over-covered when coming to the terminal, but not mandatory.

[firefly333]

Princess and carnival got rid of the note. I searched all over carnival site, even typed it into faqs and it never came up.

 

Crossing my fingers rcl follows. 

[Sunshine3601]

Do all cruise lines have to follow rules set by CLIA?  My understanding is they do.  So if carnival and princess have removed the need for doctors note for those 70 or older maybe others will to.

But some may still want the letter as a "better safe than sorry" policy.

All unknown till ships actually start sailing again.  

I am down to having 4 booked cruises for 2020 and  a couple for early 2021.  Thinking my oct and dec sailings will happen but not my summer europe sailings.

I know I dont want to be on a Guinea pig on the first couple sailings.  I will sit back and see how they do then decide.

[Ourusualbeach]

2 minutes ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Do all cruise lines have to follow rules set by CLIA?  My understanding is they do.  So if carnival and princess have removed the need for doctors note for those 70 or older maybe others will to.

But some may still want the letter as a "better safe than sorry" policy.

All unknown till ships actually start sailing again.  

I am down to having 4 booked cruises for 2020 and  a couple for early 2021.  Thinking my oct and dec sailings will happen but not my summer europe sailings.

I know I dont want to be on a Guinea pig on the first couple sailings.  I will sit back and see how they do then decide.

Carnival has removed it only because it is not clear from CLIA that the requirement will remain.  If it does Carnival will reimplement it. 

[zonacruiser25]

With no cruising in the foreseeable future, new guidelines will be implemented and have time to be well thought out and up to date with REAL, VALIDATED information.  There is really no need for fast, knee jerk  issuing of procedures since I may not even be 2020 when we can resume cruising.  Right now I am looking forward to getting together with family and just having a BBQ.  All the little things will be more meaningful for quite a while once we get back to "normal".

[wolfcathorse]

12 hours ago, JT1962 said:

 So a healthy 85 year old may be allowed to sail while a 22 year old with mild controlled asthma may be denied sailing.

 

 

 

 

if it says severe compromised conditions, controlled asthma shouldn't be a reason for denying boarding. And she didn't mention diabetes? My DH is on an insulin pump so he can't hide that, but his diabetes is controlled, he's the most healthiest 67 yr old diabetic I know. If his doctor says he's fit to travel in spite of diabetes, will they let him board? I have mild controlled asthma, I can lie about that at check in, as long as they don't search my luggage and find my rescue inhaler. Am I to trust what a call center rep is going to tell me if I call for a clarification? This is so confusing! And disheartening, we may never get to cruise again!

[AlohaLivin]

13 hours ago, JT1962 said:

So a healthy 85 year old may be allowed to sail while a 22 year old with mild controlled asthma may be denied sailing.

Everything that I have read regarding cruise line policies (and governmental; policies) regarding illness related to travel have been rather specific about the boundaries being more *severe* illnesses. I have not personally seen anything from any govt or main stream media source information to suggest that would include a 22 yo with mild and controlled asthma. A huge  percentage of the population has some sort of mild and chronic condition, from hypertension to reactive airway. For most people those are mild conditions and/or controlled well with meds and are unlikely to fall under travel bans now or later.

Edited April 23, 2020 by AlohaLivin

[MaritimeR&R]

10 hours ago, pcur said:

I got that email, and called Princess this morning to get more information.  I asked about "chronic" conditions, and she said they were primarily interested in people with severely compromised immune systems (HIV-positive; COPD, lung issues, asthma), or people with cancer.

 

I asked about having a doctor verify "safe to travel" with a letter, after-visit report, etc.  She said it was not required, but it's an excellent idea to bring one.  She said the situation is so fluid that it would help to be over-covered when coming to the terminal, but not mandatory.

Interesting and hopeful for me, having asthma has been found to be missing from those "other conditions" affecting morbidity in Covid-19 cases. "New York State, the epicenter of the outbreak in the United States, began releasing data on the top 10 chronic health problems suffered by people who died from coronavirus, asthma was notably absent from the list. State officials said only about five percent of Covid-19 deaths in New York were of people who were known to also have asthma, a relatively modest amount."  "

“We’re not seeing a lot of patients with asthma,” said Dr. Bushra Mina, a pulmonary and critical care physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, which has treated more than 800 Covid cases. The more common risk factors, he added, are “morbid obesity, diabetes and chronic heart disease.”

"The top Covid-19 comorbidities listed by New York, in order, are hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, coronary artery disease, dementia and atrial fibrillation, a heart condition. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, another respiratory ailment, but one with an older demographic than asthma, ranks seventh. Renal disease, cancer and congestive heart failure round out the list." 

Maybe the CLIA will reconsider its placement on "the list," 

 

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[BBQluver]

7 minutes ago, wolfcathorse said:

if it says severe compromised conditions, controlled asthma shouldn't be a reason for denying boarding. And she didn't mention diabetes? My DH is on an insulin pump so he can't hide that, but his diabetes is controlled, he's the most healthiest 67 yr old diabetic I know. If his doctor says he's fit to travel in spite of diabetes, will they let him board? I have mild controlled asthma, I can lie about that at check in, as long as they don't search my luggage and find my rescue inhaler. Am I to trust what a call center rep is going to tell me if I call for a clarification? This is so confusing! And disheartening, we may never get to cruise again!

The way the current policy is written indicates that your DH would not be allowed to board no matter that his diabetes is controlled. The following is a portion of Royal's Travel and Health update. It can be found at the top of their web page.

 

b. Effective Friday, March 13, boarding will be denied to any person with a severe, chronic medical condition, including those specified by the CDC. Guests of all ages will be screened prior to boarding, regarding underlying health issues that may prevent them from sailing, i.e.  chronic heart, lung, liver, or kidney disease, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, or cancer.

I also have diabetes in a controlled stage. Since I am over seventy years old I would be required to have a doctor's statement. The medical letter form that Royal is using has no option for the doctor to state the diabetes is controlled. The doctor is certifying that the customer has no compromised conditions. So it is a case of go or no go.