Capacity limits

[missmom]

My sister and I are booked on the July 10 sailing out of St. Martin this summer.  We keep reading or hearing about the capacity limits on these cruises.  Does anyone have a reference to a Celebrity source for those limits?  We can’t find it.

 

Thanks!

[m8zenblue]

I have been following a well known Vlogger who gave some very interesting views on how the cruise lines will determine passenger limitations when and if cruising returns to the USA.

1. First come first serve.

2. Cruise line status.

3. Loyalty

4. Who spends the most on cruises.

 

If I was in control of who cruises and who don't I know how I would determine the percentage.

What are your thoughts on this ?

[HskrCrsr]

I find a somewhat vague statement from Celebrity in their Healthy At Sea FAQ (https://www.celebritycruises.com/healthy-at-sea/faqs😞

How full will the ship be? Will there be fewer guests on board than usual to promote physical distancing?

Yes, as we return to sailing, you will find there are fewer guests on board, giving your travel party and others more space to enjoy during your vacation. This will make physical distancing across venues a lot easier and ensure everyone will get a chance to enjoy different activities in smaller groups with plenty of spacing. Note that the number of guests on board may be adjusted in the future as situations evolve.

And they state reduced capacity elsewhere:

While On Board

We’re still providing you the premium service and amenities you’ve come to expect from us, just with even more precautions than before like reduced capacity, physical distancing and enhanced cleaning measures.

 

I do not easily find anything stating what those limits will be. And they are always subject to change.

[missmom]

Thank you!  We weren’t finding anything specific, either, and really didn’t know if there was anything specific.

 

My thoughts at this point are a definite first come, first served. 

 

 

[nocl]

1 hour ago, HskrCrsr said:

I find a somewhat vague statement from Celebrity in their Healthy At Sea FAQ (https://www.celebritycruises.com/healthy-at-sea/faqs😞

How full will the ship be? Will there be fewer guests on board than usual to promote physical distancing?

Yes, as we return to sailing, you will find there are fewer guests on board, giving your travel party and others more space to enjoy during your vacation. This will make physical distancing across venues a lot easier and ensure everyone will get a chance to enjoy different activities in smaller groups with plenty of spacing. Note that the number of guests on board may be adjusted in the future as situations evolve.

And they state reduced capacity elsewhere:

While On Board

We’re still providing you the premium service and amenities you’ve come to expect from us, just with even more precautions than before like reduced capacity, physical distancing and enhanced cleaning measures.

 

I do not easily find anything stating what those limits will be. And they are always subject to change.

I guess you could say whatever they want them to be. If there is not limit placed by the country they are sailing from then it is up to the cruise line. Especially since they included the line.

 

Note that the number of guests on board may be adjusted in the future as situations evolve

 

In other words we expect to have reduced capacity but we might not by time it comes for your cruise. And if we do not have reduced capacity we do not need to tell you.

[HskrCrsr]

5 minutes ago, nocl said:

I guess you could say whatever they want them to be. If there is not limit placed by the country they are sailing from then it is up to the cruise line. Especially since they included the line.

 

Note that the number of guests on board may be adjusted in the future as situations evolve

 

In other words we expect to have reduced capacity but we might not by time it comes for your cruise. And if we do not have reduced capacity we do not need to tell you.

I think that nails it. ^

[Jeremiah1212]

23 minutes ago, nocl said:

I guess you could say whatever they want them to be. If there is not limit placed by the country they are sailing from then it is up to the cruise line. Especially since they included the line.

 

Note that the number of guests on board may be adjusted in the future as situations evolve

 

In other words we expect to have reduced capacity but we might not by time it comes for your cruise. And if we do not have reduced capacity we do not need to tell you.

 

Exactly. They can hit 99% and still call it reduced if you want.

 

I would have sworn the TA site made specific mention of the 40-60% range initially discussed but that part is no longer on the site. 

[Fouremco]

1 hour ago, m8zenblue said:

I have been following a well known Vlogger who gave some very interesting views on how the cruise lines will determine passenger limitations when and if cruising returns to the USA.

1. First come first serve.

2. Cruise line status.

3. Loyalty

4. Who spends the most on cruises.

 

If I was in control of who cruises and who don't I know how I would determine the percentage.

What are your thoughts on this ?

Are you referring to cruises that has booking numbers still below the cut-off figure (whatever that might be!), such as those out of Sint Maarten, or are you thinking about cruises for this fall and next year that have lots of booking and would have to cancel a number of them to reach the reduced maximum? If the former, there's no doubt that it will be first come, first served.

 

If you are talking about cutting back on existing booking, I personally go for first come, first served model, but I've seen lots of support for a variety of options. BTW, what's the difference between "cruise line status" and "loyalty"? I may just need my afternoon coffee, but I'm not grasping how they differ.

[HskrCrsr]

Even the Healthy Sail Panel document (https://www.royalcaribbeangroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Healthy-Sail-Panel_Full-Recommendations_9.21.20_FINAL.pdf) is not very specific:

 

Capacity Restrictions

One way that cruise operators can facilitate physical distancing is by reducing overcrowding on board the ships. Therefore, the Panel believes that it is appropriate for cruises to sail at reduced capacity once sailing resumes as a way to facilitate physical distancing, especially as procedures are being tested to ensure they are working properly. Capacity can be gradually increased as conditions permit. (from page 27)

 

And

Recommendation 18: When returning to sailing, cruise operators should adjust guest and crew load factors in a manner that allows for appropriate physical distancing on board in accordance with applicable guidance, taking into consideration the size and design of each ship. (from page 28)

 

The statements "Capacity can be gradually increased as conditions permit" and "taking into consideration the size and design of each ship" suggest it may be impossible to give numbers that would be useful and meaningful across multiple sailings.

[wrk2cruise]

I saw somewhere which I certainly can't find now that they intended to start at 40-60% and increase 20% every 30 days.  This was in reference to Celebrity not another line.

[C-Dragons]

4 minutes ago, wrk2cruise said:

I saw somewhere which I certainly can't find now that they intended to start at 40-60% and increase 20% every 30 days.  This was in reference to Celebrity not another line.

On a trade webinar perhaps?

You are correct, that was stated.

[sn2792]

3 hours ago, missmom said:

My sister and I are booked on the July 10 sailing out of St. Martin this summer.  We keep reading or hearing about the capacity limits on these cruises.  Does anyone have a reference to a Celebrity source for those limits?  We can’t find it.

 

Thanks!

For the St. Maarten cruises, I believe they are only booking veranda and suite cabins. That will reduce capacity. We booked July 17 cruise when bookings opened on 3/25 and there were no inside or ocean view cabins available.

[HskrCrsr]

2 minutes ago, sn2792 said:

For the St. Maarten cruises, I believe they are only booking veranda and suite cabins. That will reduce capacity. We booked July 17 cruise when bookings opened on 3/25 and there were no inside or ocean view cabins available.

This has changed. See here:

 

[sn2792]

3 minutes ago, HskrCrsr said:

This has changed. See here:

 

Wow, I just went and checked ours, everythings opened up. I guess they changed their plans.