3 NFL ships "green"? CDC approved for sailing?

[weloveourdoggie]

I heard that as of right now, 3 ships are "green", but not sure if that means cleared to sail. One was the Pride of America. I am currently booked for April 3rd 2021, and cautiously optimistic that it will sail. I will have my vaccine next week, and the second 3 weeks later. Anyone have more information on Hawaii sailings?

[ColeThornton]

I don't believe there is any new news to share other than all NCL sailings are cancelled through March.  Not to be Debby Downer but I wouldn't hold my breath for that April 3rd sailing.

[hallux]

The green status may just be that the ship has met the 28-day reporting requirement (and has shown negative COVID tests during that time) in order to enter US waters and begin the process of test sailings.

[weloveourdoggie]

Thank you for your replies. I am hoping that since Pride of America has been in U.S. waters since the initial shutdown of cruising, and that all of its  ports are in USwaters, It may be approved for sailing. Very wishful thinking, I know.

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, weloveourdoggie said:

I heard that as of right now, 3 ships are "green", but not sure if that means cleared to sail. One was the Pride of America. I am currently booked for April 3rd 2021, and cautiously optimistic that it will sail. I will have my vaccine next week, and the second 3 weeks later. Anyone have more information on Hawaii sailings?

With all cruises cancelled through the end of March, this would be one of the first cruises to restart. The POA is the absolute best way to cruise Hawaii with port calls every day and two overnight port calls allowing you to enjoy evening and early morning activities (e.g., sunrise bike ride down a volcano). 

 

Currently, even with a vaccination, you are currently required to have a negative COVID test (within 72 hours) to enter the state of Hawaii. And currently, you are required to have a negative COVID test (within 72 hours) to move between islands. It will be interesting to see how the cruise line gets around the inter-island testing requirements. 

 

Currently, as you exit the plane, the military does a temperature screen of 100% of the passengers. You are then directed to a "customs-like" check-point where officials review your pre-uploaded health declaration, travel documentation, and your COVID test results. Failing any, you are required to quarantine for 10 days in your hotel room (i.e., you are not allowed to leave your hotel room for any reason, and if caught leaving your room by hotel personnel, you are arrested, fined, and deported). 

 

Pride of America waiting to sail the Hawaiian waters again. 12/27/2020.

[PelicanBill]

Would not hold my breath for PoA to be one of the first to restart.

 

1. High costs to meet requirements in each port, and cruise lines have already shown that means start in ports that support more than 1 ship for sailing.  Ports with 1 ship are likely to be last, or after restrictions are lifted.

2. Aggressive requirements for Hawaii travelers, quarantine, etc as noted above.  Hawaii has not been leaning toward wanting travelers, rather, the opposite.

[chengkp75]

7 hours ago, hallux said:

The green status may just be that the ship has met the 28-day reporting requirement (and has shown negative COVID tests during that time) in order to enter US waters and begin the process of test sailings.

Actually, the "green" status only means that the covid response plan has been approved, and the crew have been reported as covid free for 28 days, and this is only to allow crew changes by commercial transportation.  But, without the "green" status for crew changes, the ship cannot start the application for the Conditional Sailing Certificate.

[BermudaBound2014]

7 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

With all cruises cancelled through the end of March, this would be one of the first cruises to restart. The POA is the absolute best way to cruise Hawaii with port calls every day and two overnight port calls allowing you to enjoy evening and early morning activities (e.g., sunrise bike ride down a volcano). 

 

Currently, even with a vaccination, you are currently required to have a negative COVID test (within 72 hours) to enter the state of Hawaii. And currently, you are required to have a negative COVID test (within 72 hours) to move between islands. It will be interesting to see how the cruise line gets around the inter-island testing requirements. 

Pride of America waiting to sail the Hawaiian waters again. 12/27/2020.

 

I disagree. I believe that Hawaii will be the last to open in the USA.

 

In addition, You are only partially correct about entry requirements. While it is true that you only need a negative test w/in 72 hours to land in Oahu (which most cruise passengers would be doing), each island has different requirements and limitations once on the island. Example, you must quarantine for 10 days to enter Kauai OR stay at a newly approved resort bubble for 3 days until you can take a second negative test (in addition to the test you took to enter the islands).

 

On Maui, you currently only need the 72 hour test, but the Governor just reduced restaurant capacity from 50% to 30% and you can not gather in any group of more than 5 (which is the same for Kauai I believe). Zero bars. Good luck keeping cruise passengers in groups less than 5. The Big Island had a 14 day quarantine reduced to 10 days, but I believe they still have to quarantine (it changes daily). Finally,  it is very possible that Hawaii is going to revert back to a mandatory quarantine as their numbers have risen due to holiday travel.

 

Furthermore, obtaining a negative test to enter Hawaii is not as easy as it seems. The government has specific approved vendors for administering the test and only these vendors are allowed to be used. Example, you can not use a rapid test from CVS but you can use a rapid test from Walgreens. The overnight testing is tricky to get back by 72 hours (and don't book a flight on Tuesday or Wednesday or forget it due to UPS not overnight flying on the weekend). And, to make matters even more tricky, the approved places are running out of testing kids due to high demand.

 

I only know this because we are wintering in Hawaii and leave next week. It is not an easy process, and the islands are definitely not warm to tourists just yet. Time will tell of course, but my money is on cruise travel to Hawaii being the very last to reopen. 

[98420934]

Small change coming in the next few days. Nothing major, but details not public yet.

 

[TSUmom]

On 1/3/2021 at 12:43 AM, 98420934 said:

Small change coming in the next few days. Nothing major, but details not public yet.

 

I will be watching and waiting....

[DrBanjo]

We are booked on Pride of America for April 17, 2021 sail date.  We are very eager to learn about the "small change" that 98420934 mentioned.   

               DrBanjo

 

Edited January 4, 2021 by DrBanjo
to correct an error

[98420934]

On 1/2/2021 at 4:42 AM, weloveourdoggie said:

I heard that as of right now, 3 ships are "green", but not sure if that means cleared to sail. One was the Pride of America.

 

On 1/2/2021 at 8:43 PM, 98420934 said:

Small change coming in the next few days. Nothing major, but details not public yet.

 

 

The CDC's crew movements page is now showing Jewel and PoA in red status.

[Carpe-Diem]

4 hours ago, 98420934 said:

 

 

The CDC's crew movements page is now showing Jewel and PoA in red status.

So, if I’m reading this correct, all of Royals ships are cleared for sailing and none of NCL’s except for Jewel and PoA are even listed? 

[chengkp75]

40 minutes ago, Carpe-Diem said:

So, if I’m reading this correct, all of Royals ships are cleared for sailing and none of NCL’s except for Jewel and PoA are even listed? 

Green status doesn't mean the ship is cleared to sail, just to do crew changes by commercial airlines.

[Carpe-Diem]

1 minute ago, chengkp75 said:

Green status doesn't mean the ship is cleared to sail, just to do crew changes by commercial airlines.

Ok. Thanks for clarifying for me! So, why aren’t more NCL ships cleared for that? 

[chengkp75]

35 minutes ago, Carpe-Diem said:

Ok. Thanks for clarifying for me! So, why aren’t more NCL ships cleared for that? 

Good question.  It requires that the crew be covid free for 28 days, and that the ship has submitted health forms for crew to the CDC weekly for 28 days.  Ships that are listed as yellow or red are ones that have started this procedure, but that may have had a case in the crew, or that they missed transmitting a health form.

[kdmbluerzr]

Isn't part of the process of the CDC requirements for any cruise line, that a ship must be docked or in US waters for a certain amount of time before they can begin the cumbersome task to gain approval, green, yellow or red, etc..... ?   If that is the case, I believe there are only three NCL ships that meet this initial demand of the CDC. Gem, Jewel & POA.  Please correct me if I am wrong. 

 

[hallux]

51 minutes ago, kdmbluerzr said:

a ship must be docked or in US water

I may be wrong but I don't think they have to be docked or in US waters, they just have to have a running 28 days of health reports submitted to and reviewed by the CDC.

Edited January 7, 2021 by hallux

[chengkp75]

1 hour ago, kdmbluerzr said:

Isn't part of the process of the CDC requirements for any cruise line, that a ship must be docked or in US waters for a certain amount of time before they can begin the cumbersome task to gain approval, green, yellow or red, etc..... ?   If that is the case, I believe there are only three NCL ships that meet this initial demand of the CDC. Gem, Jewel & POA.  Please correct me if I am wrong. 

 

 

11 minutes ago, hallux said:

I may be wrong but I don't think they have to be docked or in US waters, they just have to have a running 28 days of health reports submitted to and reviewed by the CDC.

This is correct.  If the ship "wants to operate in US waters" it can start the process.  A ship anywhere in the world can start to apply for "green status".  This process is not onerous, it merely means that the company has to attest that no crew has had any covid symptoms, or that no crew has been transferred from a ship that has had crew with symptoms for a 28 day period.  They must submit an EDC form, electronically, weekly that summarizes crew temperature and symptom checks.  Failure to submit a form one week, sets the ship back to "red" status, and the 28 day clock resets.  But even a ship sailing across the Pacific can be fulfilling the 28 day status.

 

Now, starting to obtain the Conditional Sailing Certificate (CSC), even then the ship does not need to be in US waters, but they must have "green" status, and if they decide to undertake "simulated" cruises from areas other than the US, they will need to pay the travel expenses of either the CDC inspectors or a third party auditor to witness and audit the cruises.

[hallux]

Thanks @chengkp75, can always count on your knowledge, even with these new processes...

[tokidoki]

according to Don,  a travel agent who posts daily,  just Gem is green.   He says NCL has most of their ships still in Europe.   

[hallux]

41 minutes ago, tokidoki said:

He says NCL has most of their ships still in Europe.

Doesn't mean the ships aren't a few days away from meeting the 28 day reporting requirement.  We simply don't know how long they've been reporting for, if they have been.

[tokidoki]

I hope so, cause I am a big NCL fan and am so ready to sail!

[kdmbluerzr]

22 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

 

This is correct.  If the ship "wants to operate in US waters" it can start the process.  A ship anywhere in the world can start to apply for "green status".  This process is not onerous, it merely means that the company has to attest that no crew has had any covid symptoms, or that no crew has been transferred from a ship that has had crew with symptoms for a 28 day period.  They must submit an EDC form, electronically, weekly that summarizes crew temperature and symptom checks.  Failure to submit a form one week, sets the ship back to "red" status, and the 28 day clock resets.  But even a ship sailing across the Pacific can be fulfilling the 28 day status.

 

Now, starting to obtain the Conditional Sailing Certificate (CSC), even then the ship does not need to be in US waters, but they must have "green" status, and if they decide to undertake "simulated" cruises from areas other than the US, they will need to pay the travel expenses of either the CDC inspectors or a third party auditor to witness and audit the cruises.

Thanks for info and feedback. 

 

[MoCruiseFan]

Since when did the NFL have ships?