Now that the CDC is not going to require vaccines, would you want to cruise right away?

[Mariketa]

I saw this on the CDC site, it appears that vaccines will not be a requirement:

 

The CDC now requires cruise lines to look for symptoms or signs of COVID-19 and screen for a known close contact exposure to a person with COVID-19 within the past 14 days.

 

Passengers with signs or symptoms of COVID-19 could still go on the cruise if they are fully vaccinated, but denied boarding if not fully vaccinated and without documentation of recovery.

[3kidsncats]

I prefer to be unmasked on a fully vaccinated ship, over masking in all public spaces with no vaccination required.

[jstraw20]

Not thrilled about this simply because it increases the chances of a cruise being disrupted by an outbreak.

[smokeybandit]

The CDC was never going to require vaccines. They're  just going to make it difficult on cruise lines that don't

[harkinmr]

21 minutes ago, Mariketa said:

I saw this on the CDC site, it appears that vaccines will not be a requirement:

 

The CDC now requires cruise lines to look for symptoms or signs of COVID-19 and screen for a known close contact exposure to a person with COVID-19 within the past 14 days.

 

Passengers with signs or symptoms of COVID-19 could still go on the cruise if they are fully vaccinated, but denied boarding if not fully vaccinated and without documentation of recovery.

Vaccines have never been required by the CDC.  They just gave the cruise lines the option to restart cruising faster if they committed to vaccinated sailings.

 

EDIT: Do you have a link to the CDC provision(s) you are talking about?

Edited May 15, 2021 by harkinmr

[Mariketa]

4 minutes ago, harkinmr said:

Vaccines have never been required by the CDC.  They just gave the cruise lines the option to restart cruising faster if they committed to vaccinated sailings.

 

EDIT: Do you have a link to the CDC provision(s) you are talking about?

Give me just a sec and I'll get it. 🙂

[harkinmr]

Just now, Mariketa said:

Give me just a sec and I'll get it. 🙂

Thank you! 🙂

[paulh84]

30 minutes ago, Mariketa said:

I saw this on the CDC site, it appears that vaccines will not be a requirement:

 

The CDC now requires cruise lines to look for symptoms or signs of COVID-19 and screen for a known close contact exposure to a person with COVID-19 within the past 14 days.

 

Passengers with signs or symptoms of COVID-19 could still go on the cruise if they are fully vaccinated, but denied boarding if not fully vaccinated and without documentation of recovery.

 

This is the section you are referring to. It's saying if they have 'standard' COVID/flu like symptoms, they are denied boarding if they cannot prove they are not fully vaccinated or recovered from COVID in the past 3 months. They may board at the cruise lines discretion if they test negative at the pier (and have the negative then confirmed again). 

Screening of Embarking Passengers for Restricted Voyages

• Cruise ship operators must screen passengers for signs or symptoms of COVID-19 and screen for a known close contact exposure to a person with COVID-19 within the past 14 days.
  • Passengers with signs or symptoms of COVID-19
    • Deny boarding if not fully vaccinated and without documentation of recovery².
    • May board at operator’s discretion if fully vaccinated or with documentation of recovery and embarkation day test is negative by viral test (antigen-negative must be confirmed with NAAT). If an alternate infectious etiology (e.g., influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), Legionella, Streptococcal pharyngitis) is identified through laboratory testing, routine infection control precautions recommended for the diagnosis should be followed.
  • Passengers who have a known close contact exposure in the past 14 days
    • Deny boarding if not fully vaccinated and without documentation of recovery²
    • May board at operator’s discretion if:
      • fully vaccinated and asymptomatic
      • with documentation of recovery from COVID-19 and asymptomatic

[Mariketa]

1 minute ago, paulh84 said:

 

This is the section you are referring to. It's saying if they have 'standard' COVID/flu like symptoms, they are denied boarding if they cannot prove they are not fully vaccinated or recovered from COVID in the past 3 months. They may board at the cruise lines discretion if they test negative at the pier (and have the negative then confirmed again). 

Screening of Embarking Passengers for Restricted Voyages

• Cruise ship operators must screen passengers for signs or symptoms of COVID-19 and screen for a known close contact exposure to a person with COVID-19 within the past 14 days.
  • Passengers with signs or symptoms of COVID-19
    • Deny boarding if not fully vaccinated and without documentation of recovery².
    • May board at operator’s discretion if fully vaccinated or with documentation of recovery and embarkation day test is negative by viral test (antigen-negative must be confirmed with NAAT). If an alternate infectious etiology (e.g., influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), Legionella, Streptococcal pharyngitis) is identified through laboratory testing, routine infection control precautions recommended for the diagnosis should be followed.
  • Passengers who have a known close contact exposure in the past 14 days
    • Deny boarding if not fully vaccinated and without documentation of recovery²
    • May board at operator’s discretion if:
      • fully vaccinated and asymptomatic
      • with documentation of recovery from COVID-19 and asymptomatic

Yep!

[kdnurs]

1 hour ago, 3kidsncats said:

I prefer to be unmasked on a fully vaccinated ship, over masking in all public spaces with no vaccination required.

I totally agree!!!! Makes no sense

[ReneeFLL]

1 hour ago, jstraw20 said:

Not thrilled about this simply because it increases the chances of a cruise being disrupted by an outbreak.

That’s my concern and not about getting sick since I’m fully vaccinated.

[livingonthebeach]

I would prefer a fully vaccinated ship but if it's not and there are Covid cases, I would like the ability to get off the ship and travel home with a full refund and a voucher for a free future cruise.  

[smokeybandit]

people are too worried about outbreaks on ships. There barely were any outbreaks back in March 2020. There won't be any now with all the protocols in place.

[gretchengao]

I only want to cruise on a vaccinated ship at least for now while the virus still raging on with 40,000 positive cases a day in this country. Speaking for myself, not rich enough to have all my money waisted with an interrupted cruise because of health issues. 

[smokeybandit]

8 minutes ago, gretchengao said:

I only want to cruise on a vaccinated ship at least for now while the virus still raging on with 40,000 positive cases a day in this country. Speaking for myself, not rich enough to have all my money waisted with an interrupted cruise because of health issues. 

As long as we continue to test over a million people per day using a test that can come back "positive" even if you've never had covid, well you're going to have cases.

[harkinmr]

1 hour ago, paulh84 said:

 

This is the section you are referring to. It's saying if they have 'standard' COVID/flu like symptoms, they are denied boarding if they cannot prove they are not fully vaccinated or recovered from COVID in the past 3 months. They may board at the cruise lines discretion if they test negative at the pier (and have the negative then confirmed again). 

Screening of Embarking Passengers for Restricted Voyages

• Cruise ship operators must screen passengers for signs or symptoms of COVID-19 and screen for a known close contact exposure to a person with COVID-19 within the past 14 days.
  • Passengers with signs or symptoms of COVID-19
    • Deny boarding if not fully vaccinated and without documentation of recovery².
    • May board at operator’s discretion if fully vaccinated or with documentation of recovery and embarkation day test is negative by viral test (antigen-negative must be confirmed with NAAT). If an alternate infectious etiology (e.g., influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), Legionella, Streptococcal pharyngitis) is identified through laboratory testing, routine infection control precautions recommended for the diagnosis should be followed.
  • Passengers who have a known close contact exposure in the past 14 days
    • Deny boarding if not fully vaccinated and without documentation of recovery²
    • May board at operator’s discretion if:
      • fully vaccinated and asymptomatic
      • with documentation of recovery from COVID-19 and asymptomatic

I think the most important text is “at the discretion of the cruise line”. Boarding is likely to be denied. Why would a cruise line even take that chance?

Edited May 15, 2021 by harkinmr

[Jimbo]

1 hour ago, livingonthebeach said:

I would prefer a fully vaccinated ship but if it's not and there are Covid cases, I would like the ability to get off the ship and travel home with a full refund and a voucher for a free future cruise.  

how about a winning lottery ticket too?

[livingonthebeach]

Just now, Jimbo said:

how about a winning lottery ticket too?

 

LOL -- I'll take this Tuesday's Megamillions currently @ 468 million. Nah, I'll settle for a Villa Suite on Symphony. 

[mrg0433]

NO worries since we got vaccinated in January.   I am not a mask wearer unless required in a store.  Glad CDC lifted mask  mandates.   Now cruise lines and stores need to relax.      Those who want to wear one r free to do so.  

[Mariketa]

1 hour ago, harkinmr said:

I think the most important text is “at the discretion of the cruise line”. Boarding is likely to be denied. Why would a cruise line even take that chance?

I don't think that the cruise lines will require it if they don't have to. They need to fill the ships, so they really don't want to make it more difficult. I do expect stringent hygiene on board and changes to stuff, distance, buffet, etc. 

[BOOKBOOKBOOK]

6 minutes ago, Mariketa said:

I don't think that the cruise lines will require it if they don't have to. They need to fill the ships, so they really don't want to make it more difficult. I do expect stringent hygiene on board and changes to stuff, distance, buffet, etc. 

 

At this point, it's simply a risk-benefit analysis that the cruise line would be conducting on their end. On one hand, they will forecast demand based on whether or not they require vaccines or not. They will also then conduct a risk analysis of an outbreak happening onboard with/without the vaccine. If the benefit of filling ships in July outweighs the potential backlash and consequent reduction in demand and cruise line perception as a result of a potential outbreak on a ship filled with unvaccinated passengers, then I'm inclined to agree with you that cruise lines won't require vaccines if they don't have to.

 

My opinion is that cruise lines will require vaccines in some capacity because the risk of losing out on so much future demand as a result of negative press from an outbreak on an unvaccinated ship will do irreparable harm to the company's operations. If an outbreak did happen on a vaccinated ship (which the science suggests that the probability is infinitesimally low), the cruise lines could at least publicly say that they followed the best health protocols out of peer cruise lines or the hospitality/travel industry as a whole.

 

As of right now, the CDC has provided two paths to resuming paid passenger cruising in the U.S., and the path that's shorter and less bumpy is the one where cruise lines follow 95% passengers and 98% crew vaccinated. July is a really important time of year for cruise lines revenue-wise, and if they can fill ships ASAP with paying, vaccinated passengers, they will hop on that opportunity any day of the week.

[jptoz]

The majority of the passengers want mandatory  vaccination requirements. I don't know what the big deal is, just do it and get sailing again. The cruise would be fool not to require it.. This seems like a pissing match between Desantis and the CDC.

[Sunshine3601]

4 hours ago, The sea calls my name said:

I want to cruise terribly but I absolutely refuse to wear a mask between each bite of food and each sip of liquid.  This is not "following the science" This is control and power. 

I suspect that will be revised too.

[smokeybandit]

18 minutes ago, jptoz said:

The majority of the passengers want mandatory  vaccination requirements.

Based on what?

 

I think the majority just want to cruise again

[atgood]

It appears the 98% crew / 95% passenger vaccination requirement has been removed.  I can’t find it now in the updated guidance.