New health guidelines for the future

[Upper Bob]

Just received the guidelines that Princess has set for cruising once things resume. Not as strict as I imagined it would be. We will see how the social distancing works out with 2,500 - 3,500 passengers. I hope it works!

https://www.princess.com/plan/cruise-with-confidence/cruise-health/?cid=brand_email_promo_internal_announcement_info_pf0ms171a_201007_cruisehealth_42OL4ZXM3DEZ2WP7XJDGL2DQSM&eccn=42OL4ZXM3DEZ2WP7XJDGL2DQSM&rrid=553434253A&mi_u=553434253A

[cr8tiv1]

Yes, I just received same.  I looked through all the links but could not find an answer.  It will be interesting how they deal with exceptions.  

 

I've been trying to fly into Hawaii for the past 3 months and understand that the policies change frequently.  It's been a nightmare.

 

I will be doing a pre-cruise hotel stay in London that will be about 100 hours before getting on the ship. Obviously that will not meet the requirements of 72 hours before departure (current Hawaii requirement).   Would they require me to take a COVID test before getting on the plane AND then again while I am in London?  How would I even begin to look for a place to administer the test?  Would I have to pay for this test twice?

 

I may be premature in my anxieties.  Hopefully they will have developed a rapid test that could be administered at the terminal.

[pms4104]

My impression is that these guidelines are a constantly evolving work in progress, based on input and/or approval from the CDC and its counterparts across the globe.

 

I am concerned about the over reliance on Medallion

Class and one's smart device to check whether a venue or activity is at capacity yet.  Not everyone has a smart device or uses one onboard.  Will Princess provide such a device?

 

It'll be interesting to follow the evolution of these guudelines to actual enforcible policies.  

Edited October 8, 2020 by pms4104

[caribill]

4 hours ago, Upper Bob said:

Just received the guidelines that Princess has set for cruising once things resume. Not as strict as I imagined it would be. We will see how the social distancing works out with 2,500 - 3,500 passengers. I hope it works!

https://www.princess.com/plan/cruise-with-confidence/cruise-health/?cid=brand_email_promo_internal_announcement_info_pf0ms171a_201007_cruisehealth_42OL4ZXM3DEZ2WP7XJDGL2DQSM&eccn=42OL4ZXM3DEZ2WP7XJDGL2DQSM&rrid=553434253A&mi_u=553434253A

 

Generalities to pass on the CLIA submitted proposal to the CDC.

 

Details, which are still being developed by each cruise line, are yet to be distributed.

 

 

[caribill]

2 hours ago, pms4104 said:

 

 

I am concerned about the over reliance on Medallion

Class and one's smart device to check whether a venue or activity is at capacity yet.  Not everyone has a smart device or uses one onboard.  Will Princess provide such a device?

 

 

 

a) A number of screens around the ship

b) possibly also on your interactive cabin TV

[ontheweb]

7 hours ago, pms4104 said:

My impression is that these guidelines are a constantly evolving work in progress, based on input and/or approval from the CDC and its counterparts across the globe.

 

I am concerned about the over reliance on Medallion

Class and one's smart device to check whether a venue or activity is at capacity yet.  Not everyone has a smart device or uses one onboard.  Will Princess provide such a device?

 

It'll be interesting to follow the evolution of these guudelines to actual enforcible policies.  

I guess we will have to avoid Princess ships with the medallion as we are not about to buy a smartphone in order to cruise. (BTW, our cancelled summer cruise was on one of those ships.)

[skynight]

9 hours ago, Upper Bob said:

Just received the guidelines that Princess has set for cruising once things resume. Not as strict as I imagined it would be. We will see how the social distancing works out with 2,500 - 3,500 passengers. I hope it works!

How will social distancing work at the elevators?

[mcrcruiser]

 The cruise lines will not attract the senior population who have the time & resources to take the longer cruises ,until the vaccines are safe to take per each person's doctor recommendations  . This is our personal guideline .If our internist ,geriatric  MD says it is OK to get vaccinated ,we will do it . 

 

 I can not see ultimate safety against the covid 19  virus; which spreads very quickly with out people getting the vaccine . Imo there would be no real enjoyment of cruising if we had to wear masks ,social distancing & a must remember to do all that on a cruise .How would we eat ,drink ,work out in the gym ,swim ie .you get the picture , Certainly not a pre covid 19 cruise experience .Then there is the elevated costs now associated with the new cruises . We still remember the horrific quarantine for the Diamond Princess earlier this year in Tokyo  harbor & the other Ship (think it was a Holland Ship ) that was out at sea for many days seeking to dock & unload the pax .Finally ,they were allowed into Thailand .Just a huge night mare for those unfortunate people 

 

 

[mcrcruiser]

17 minutes ago, skynight said:

How will social distancing work at the elevators?

It doesn't  .Thus ,why risk it  ,especially if you are in the senior category & or have underlying medical conditions  .Regardless  if the CDC says ok to cruise ,will those  at risking their lives board cruise ships ?

[mcrcruiser]

We have 2 cruises booked one is a Princess Majestic 7 night  Mexico on Jan 15 ,2022 from San Pedro Ca  & the next is Carnival Miracle ,Oct 25 ,2022   15 night Hawaii cruise from San Diego pprt R/T  . If we were not vaccinated we would cancel both cruises . Much easier to do a land trips to National Parks or State Parks here in the mainland USA 

[phabric]

I don’t use my phone while away.  I carry my IPad in my Princess blue bag during the day, not at night.  I have Medallion Class app on my IPad.  Being Canadian, I have to pick up my medallion at the dock.

[Potstech]

1 hour ago, ontheweb said:

I guess we will have to avoid Princess ships with the medallion as we are not about to buy a smartphone in order to cruise. (BTW, our cancelled summer cruise was on one of those ships.)

Do not need a smart phone to use the Medallion.

[Aulanis]

11 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

I will be doing a pre-cruise hotel stay in London that will be about 100 hours before getting on the ship. Obviously that will not meet the requirements of 72 hours before departure (current Hawaii requirement).

Testing in the UK is in a mess at the moment ( not that it has ever been great)  

There are NO free tests for international travel on the NHS   and Private tests

all seem to say it could take 72 hours to get results.

There used to be   NHS drop in centres where you could just turn up for a tests 

but now everything has to be by appointment.   You can ONLY get an appointment

IF you are displaying symptoms  which presumably they check when you  get to

the appointment.  We dont  travel until Aug21 so hoping for something better by then.

 

My opinion is that they need proper testing at the ports as they are hoping to do at

the big airports.    Say we get a test  71 hours before we board and it comes back

negative.   What is there to say we havent been infected  in the intervening 70 hours

and still show no symptoms.  We get on the ship and a day later , whoops we had it all along!.

 

 

Edited October 8, 2020 by Aulanis

[Ombud]

5 hours ago, ontheweb said:

I guess we will have to avoid Princess ships with the medallion as we are not about to buy a smartphone in order to cruise. (BTW, our cancelled summer cruise was on one of those ships.)

As stated earlier:

10 hours ago, caribill said:

 

a) A number of screens around the ship

b) possibly also on your interactive cabin TV

I've been on 'a few' medallion cruises and did not need my Droid (smart phone). I keep it in the safe as I want to unwind after ordering my '1st free' drink. I imagine cruisers will still be able to order with the wait staff

[Ombud]

2 hours ago, Aulanis said:

Testing in the UK is in a mess at the moment ( not that it has ever been great)  

There are NO free tests for international travel on the NHS   and Private tests

all seem to say it could take 72 hours to get results.

this won't help those across the pond just yet BUT Oakland International Airport announced free Covid-19 tests for those getting on a plane. They suggest allowing an extra hour so the results will be in before you board. I may look at flying from Oakland instead of SF which still charges $250 for the test (unless SF counters with free tests)

 

I can see this happening worldwide eventually 

[Cruise Raider]

14 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

I've been trying to fly into Hawaii for the past 3 months and understand that the policies change frequently.  It's been a nightmare.

 

 

 

 

I know that SFO will provide a quick test at the airport to fly to Hawaii ... but it will cost you a lot.  

However, the Oakland airport just announced they will be providing them free of charge for all traveling wishing to fly to Hawaii.  If you test negative, you are free to go and not have to quarantine.  They recommended showing up at the airport 3 hours prior to your flight. There was an article in the SF Gate about it a week ago.  I would imagine this could put some pressure on the airports in So Cal to do the same.  Maybe??  

[Cruise Raider]

8 minutes ago, Ombud said:

this won't help those across the pond just yet BUT Oakland International Airport announced free Covid-19 tests for those getting on a plane. They suggest allowing an extra hour so the results will be in before you board. I may look at flying from Oakland instead of SF which still charges $250 for the test (unless SF counters with free tests)

 

I can see this happening worldwide eventually 

 

You just beat me to it!!  

[johnmik1]

I think that Princess should go back to being able to order off the MDR menu in all staterooms like HAL does.This would ease the strains on the other dining venues.

[Cruise Raider]

Does that really mean that they won't have those $10 sales in the MDR anymore?  😲

I can honestly say ... I will not miss those one bit!!  

 

Nowhere on that email did I see that they were going to sail at reduced capacity or not schedule any longer trips such as I saw from the guidelines that Celebrity / NCL sent out.  I guess each cruiseline is doing things a bit differently but, I seem to recall that those lines were collaborating with CLIA to come up with those recommendations.  

[nini]

How would this work: We plan on landing in Rome and touring

Tuscany, Florence and maybe Venice before we return to Rome to

embark on the ship. We would be traveling in Italy at least one

week before boarding. This is September 2021

[CineGraphic]

5 hours ago, phabric said:

I don’t use my phone while away.  I carry my IPad in my Princess blue bag during the day, not at night.  I have Medallion Class app on my IPad.  Being Canadian, I have to pick up my medallion at the dock.

 

Those are all personal choices, so you either have to decide to not cruise, or to carry your pad at night so you can order drinks or view shows.

[phabric]

 When I see a waiter passing I just order a drink from him.  One time, I did not see any waiter around the pool, I saw the head guy (the one in the white shirt), he called a waiter over to taken my order. In the theater, order from a passing waiter. Passing a bar, pick up a drink. You don’t need a phone.
 

I carry my IPad during the day, mainly for the listing of the daily activities.  I like the medallion for unlocking the cabin door, once unlocked all you need to do push the handle down if your hands are full.  I travelled with a 10 yr old, at each elevator area there is a board, she would use her medallion and play a game while waiting for the elevator.

Edited October 8, 2020 by phabric

[geocruiser]

I read the new health guidelines in the link above  I found this interesting

• "encouraging guests at venue entrances to use the hand-washing sinks and hand sanitizer dispensers"
• I guess they can't make PAX wash their hands.

[phabric]

15 minutes ago, geocruiser said:

I read the new health guidelines in the link above  I found this interesting

• "encouraging guests at venue entrances to use the hand-washing sinks and hand sanitizer dispensers"
• I guess they can't make PAX wash their hands.

They should have a person standing there telling people to wash their hands.

[snoozecrooze]

31 minutes ago, geocruiser said:

I read the new health guidelines in the link above  I found this interesting

• "encouraging guests at venue entrances to use the hand-washing sinks and hand sanitizer dispensers"
• I guess they can't make PAX wash their hands.

Handwashing is also one of the most basic ways to combat the spread of norovirus so it baffles me Princess wouldn't want to mandate it for the sake of avoiding outbreaks of that as well. "Encouragement" doesn't work. How many PR disasters do they want to keep going through?