Princess, Declare Vaccine Mandate for West Coast Sailings!

[LACruiser88]

Princess has a vaccine mandate for the UK sailings this summer.  So, why can't Princess do the same for West Coast and Texas sailings while Florida figures out their mess???  This would enable Princess to cruise much sooner, minus the Florida ports...

[beg3yrs]

AFAIK, nobody has been able to read the tea leaves concerning what's going on the the corporate offices of Princess in Santa Clarita. I hope there's an overarching strategy behind all this but ... some communication would be nice. Jack Del Rio of NCL certainly makes it clear what his company is up to.

[HBCcruiser]

And now Royal Caribbean is making great progress as well:

 

"Royal Caribbean Group Vice President of Worldwide Operations, Captain Hernan Zini, confirmed on Wednesday that Royal Caribbean Group has finalized its port agreement with the Canaveral Port Authority." 

 

More Info

[voljeep]

29 minutes ago, HBCcruiser said:

"Royal Caribbean Group Vice President of Worldwide Operations, Captain Hernan Zini,

With the Singapore goverment announcing a "Phase 2 - Heighten Alert" for the coronavirus, Royal Caribbean International has responded quickly and made key product changes to cruises aboard the Quantum of the Seas, which is sailing short cruises to nowhere from Singapore.

In an email to booked guests, Royal Caribbean outlined changes that will be in effect from May 17 through June 13.

Key Product Adjustments:

• Guest capacity is reduced to 25 percent occupancy. Groups are limited to two guests. This means that at most, the ship will have 1,025 passengers aboard.
• All restaurants are closed and guests will get room service options or "grab and go" from select restaurants aboard.
• Capacity for live entertainment shows will be reduced to a maximum of 50 guests and live singing will not be available.
• Permitted onboard activities, like those in Seaplex, Activity Zone and Pool Zone, will continue to operate at reduced capacity and with enhanced social distancing measures.
• • Masks will be required in the indoor pool.

[voljeep]

33 minutes ago, HBCcruiser said:

Royal Caribbean Group has finalized its port agreement with the Canaveral Port Authority."

and Disney is negotiating for portage at Port Everglades Terminal 4

[HBCcruiser]

14 minutes ago, voljeep said:

and Disney is negotiating for portage at Port Everglades Terminal 4

Exactly! And still not a peep from Princess. 🤔

[memoak]

35 minutes ago, voljeep said:

With the Singapore goverment announcing a "Phase 2 - Heighten Alert" for the coronavirus, Royal Caribbean International has responded quickly and made key product changes to cruises aboard the Quantum of the Seas, which is sailing short cruises to nowhere from Singapore.

In an email to booked guests, Royal Caribbean outlined changes that will be in effect from May 17 through June 13.

Key Product Adjustments:

• Guest capacity is reduced to 25 percent occupancy. Groups are limited to two guests. This means that at most, the ship will have 1,025 passengers aboard.
• All restaurants are closed and guests will get room service options or "grab and go" from select restaurants aboard.
• Capacity for live entertainment shows will be reduced to a maximum of 50 guests and live singing will not be available.
• Permitted onboard activities, like those in Seaplex, Activity Zone and Pool Zone, will continue to operate at reduced capacity and with enhanced social distancing measures.
• • Masks will be required in the indoor pool.

Those restaurant rules would make me say no way. Half of why I cruise is to have things served to me. Grab and go steak or lobster?  No thank you 

[CineGraphic]

Princess is being very quiet because the brand name was severely tarnished during the early days of Covid. Think of all of the news coverage about cruise passengers being stricken with Covid, it was 99.9% Princess. It's my belief that they don't want to make any statements that may harm their image further, in the midst of a very fluid situation. The last thing they need right now is to say the wrong thing at the wrong time, so they're staying quiet.

[Ombud]

Although they are being quiet, Sharp HC stated on today's Fox News @ Noon that they are vaccinating 2 HALs ship in San Diego & 2 Princess ships off shore from San Diego offices -- she said 2 Princess ships. Article only mentions 1

Edited May 19, 2021 by Ombud

[HBCcruiser]

Hmm it looks like the Majestic and Ruby are on their way to CA. 

https://www.cruisemapper.com/

 

[Steelers36]

4 hours ago, voljeep said:

Key Product Adjustments:

• Guest capacity is reduced to 25 percent occupancy. Groups are limited to two guests. This means that at most, the ship will have 1,025 passengers aboard.
• All restaurants are closed and guests will get room service options or "grab and go" from select restaurants aboard.
• Capacity for live entertainment shows will be reduced to a maximum of 50 guests and live singing will not be available.
• Permitted onboard activities, like those in Seaplex, Activity Zone and Pool Zone, will continue to operate at reduced capacity and with enhanced social distancing measures.
• • Masks will be required in the indoor pool.

Wouldn't go anywhere near a ship with these protocols.  I'd be waiting.

[franktown]

2 hours ago, Ombud said:

Although they are being quiet, Sharp HC stated on today's Fox News @ Noon that they are vaccinating 2 HALs ship in San Diego & 2 Princess ships off shore from San Diego offices -- she said 2 Princess ships. Article only mentions 1

Thats good news but it's only the skeleton crew needed to maintain the ships that are onboard.  Still need to staff 100s more and get them vaccinated.

[Ombud]

Agreed. But I just booked a new cruise in December so this is a start

[CI66774]

6 hours ago, voljeep said:

With the Singapore goverment announcing a "Phase 2 - Heighten Alert" for the coronavirus, Royal Caribbean International has responded quickly and made key product changes to cruises aboard the Quantum of the Seas, which is sailing short cruises to nowhere from Singapore.

In an email to booked guests, Royal Caribbean outlined changes that will be in effect from May 17 through June 13.

Key Product Adjustments:

• Guest capacity is reduced to 25 percent occupancy. Groups are limited to two guests. This means that at most, the ship will have 1,025 passengers aboard.
• All restaurants are closed and guests will get room service options or "grab and go" from select restaurants aboard.
• Capacity for live entertainment shows will be reduced to a maximum of 50 guests and live singing will not be available.
• Permitted onboard activities, like those in Seaplex, Activity Zone and Pool Zone, will continue to operate at reduced capacity and with enhanced social distancing measures.
• • Masks will be required in the indoor pool.

I’d would cancel my cruise if these were the conditions.

[cruisingrob21]

4 hours ago, franktown said:

Thats good news but it's only the skeleton crew needed to maintain the ships that are onboard.  Still need to staff 100s more and get them vaccinated.

 

And not either of the potential HAL RT Seattle Alaska ships (NA and Wdam, subbed in for Edam and Odam), or Emerald Princess.  As was mentioned, the Majestic is heading to LA and is on the Alaska route, but the Ruby isnt supposed to sail until September I thought.

 

Well start counting, 5 weeks until those crew are officially "vaccinated" so for the Majestic that would be end of June, for a skeleton crew.

Edited May 20, 2021 by cruisingrob21

[Greg4502]

Like someone said, all the crew members will need to be vaccinated. They will need to be back on the ship and once everyone is aboard, probably quarantine for a period. There are a lot of ships that need crew. Picture is just of crew, on one ship. Kind of gives you an idea.

[Ombud]

1 hour ago, Greg4502 said:

Like someone said, all the crew members will need to be vaccinated. They will need to be back on the ship and once everyone is aboard, probably quarantine for a period. There are a lot of ships that need crew. Picture is just of crew, on one ship. Kind of gives you an idea.

Zaandam (615) & Rotterdam (600) crew per sign!! That equals 1 Princess Royal class crew. Could take a day if doing mass vaccinations & using J&J vaccine 

[cruisingrob21]

49 minutes ago, Ombud said:

Zaandam (615) & Rotterdam (600) crew per sign!! That equals 1 Princess Royal class crew. Could take a day if doing mass vaccinations & using J&J vaccine 

Thats true, but I thought I read that the crews are getting the Pfizer vaccines currently.  Even though the J&J is probably close to as effective as the Pfizer/Moderna (since the JnJ was tested later in the pandemic when more variants were around), I have a feeling the cruise lines want the highest efficacy vaccine they can get.

 

I predict in 2 or 3 years COVID infections on ships will be similar to noro infections with the CDC requiring a report at a threshold.

[Ombud]

Unfortunately you are correct, for now it's Pfizer. I'm just hoping Sharps HC shifts to something more portable with a shorter time between jab & full efficiency. Another issue is getting the crew. And yes, welcome to the new 'noro'

 

But this is a start. 

 

 

[LACruiser88]

Princess will have a vaccine mandate for their summer Alaska cruises, will they do the same for the remainder of West Coast cruises for 2021???  I hope so!

[Ronnieslady]

On 5/19/2021 at 10:50 AM, LACruiser88 said:

Princess has a vaccine mandate for the UK sailings this summer.  So, why can't Princess do the same for West Coast and Texas sailings while Florida figures out their mess???  This would enable Princess to cruise much sooner, minus the Florida ports...

I agree!!!

 

[Barry ATL]

Well, according to USA Today, Carnival Corp has announced that all three of it's American lines will require vaxed passengers on the Alaska cruises.

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2021/05/19/norwegian-cruise-line-resumes-alaska-cruise-bookings/5167889001/

[kiwimum]

18 minutes ago, Barry ATL said:

Well, according to USA Today, Carnival Corp has announced that all three of it's American lines will require vaxed passengers on the Alaska cruises.

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2021/05/19/norwegian-cruise-line-resumes-alaska-cruise-bookings/5167889001/

What vaccines are they going to require? Are these cruises for US citizens only.  Other countries have approved vaccines.

[Barry ATL]

Those are questions we do not yet know the answers.

[caribill]

16 minutes ago, kiwimum said:

What vaccines are they going to require? Are these cruises for US citizens only.  Other countries have approved vaccines.

 

Most likely those with approval or EUA by WHO and those with approval or EUA by the USA.