Alaska Cruises to Begin in July

[nocl]

On 5/24/2021 at 8:35 AM, azbirdmom said:

We have been booked for one of the cruises that is now a go for quite some time.  Now to find out what sort of proof they will require for vaccinations for my husband who received his through the AstraZeneca vaccine trial!  He doesn't have a CDC card because they can't issue that until the vaccine has been approved for emergency use at a minimum in the USA.  As they say the devil is in the details...

You should be able to get documentation of full immunization with the AZ vaccine from the location that gave him the vaccinations during the trial.  While it may not be the CDC card, they should be able to provide documentation that should be sufficient.  Since the AZ vaccine is approved by WHO and is certainly being accepted by the cruise lines in their EU and UK cruises.

 

You might contact the office with the cruise line that deals with special medical needs to make sure what documentation they will accept.

[Grover_]

On 5/25/2021 at 2:58 PM, PescadoAmarillo said:

We jumped on booking a fully vaccinated cruise on the Majestic Princess and are not so thrilled to now find out that, despite Princess’ assurances that these would be 100% vaccinated cruises, they might well not be. 

We just booked today because we thought these cruises would be 100% vaccinated.  They even told us on the phone that we had to be vaccinated and would have provide proof before they would complete the booking.  Now I’m finding out that there will be unvaccinated people onboard.  I think I’m going to cancel.  I’m not worried about getting sick, I’m just worried about a repeat of what happened to everyone on the cruises at the start of the pandemic. 🙁

[wolfie11]

On 5/25/2021 at 8:42 AM, chengkp75 said:

Canada's ban on cruise ships specifically notes that it does not apply to ships engaged in "innocent transit", meaning any ship of any nation is allowed to transit Canada's waters if they are not stopping.  Stopping includes activities like anchoring, fishing, etc.  So, whether or not cruise ships decide to use the Inside Passage is their decision alone, and the Canadian pilots have no recourse but to allow the ships to sail.  As noted, some of the Princess ships are not allowed in the Inside Passage for other reasons, mainly steerage at low speed and high winds, without tug assist.

I'm not sure the Canadian Inside Passage is an issue with ships out of Seattle doing a round trip, as they almost always sail on the outside of Vancouver Island.  Majestic, however, has another set of problems, as her leeward windage and lack of steerage capabilities resulted in restrictions recommended by the SE Alaska Pilots Association banning her from docking at every port in Alaska when winds exceeded a certain velocity (around 25 knots) and direction.  September can be beautiful, but can also be very windy and stormy.  October is the onset of the fall storms, so there could be problems getting into ports.

Edited May 28, 2021 by wolfie11

[beg3yrs]

8 hours ago, Grover_ said:

.....
 I’m not worried about getting sick, I’m just worried about a repeat of what happened to everyone on the cruises at the start of the pandemic. 🙁

Back when the pandemic started there was very little knowledge about COVID-19. Nobody was sure how it was transmitted, nobody knew much about how to treat it and so on. Pretty much those in charge kind of "winged it" trying every trick in their playbook. Do you see people in HAZMAT suits any more? No. One of the problems was there were no established procedures for ports to deal with a "sick ship" (back in the 17 and 1800s they'd simply burn the ships). One of the things that's being required by the CDC is for the cruise lines to establish agreements with each port as to how to handle passengers with COVID-19.

 

So, in short, consider what we've learned over the last year or so and take into account all the progress made. You might not worry so much that things will repeat.

Edited May 28, 2021 by beg3yrs

[memoak]

9 hours ago, Grover_ said:

We just booked today because we thought these cruises would be 100% vaccinated.  They even told us on the phone that we had to be vaccinated and would have provide proof before they would complete the booking.  Now I’m finding out that there will be unvaccinated people onboard.  I think I’m going to cancel.  I’m not worried about getting sick, I’m just worried about a repeat of what happened to everyone on the cruises at the start of the pandemic. 🙁

As far as I know the only non vaccinated people on these cruises would be children under the age of  12 who cannot yet get the vaccine

[Cool_Dude]

43 minutes ago, memoak said:

As far as I know the only non vaccinated people on these cruises would be children under the age of  12 who cannot yet get the vaccine

Not necessarily true. Next Thursday, 3rd of June, there will be a big teleconference with TAs. It is expected that the rules for this summer will be clearly specified. As of now, there are 3 groups that may qualify for an exemption to the vaccine rule - those with a medical reason not to receive the vaccine, those with a religious restriction and yes, those children under 12 of age.

 

I think it is fair to suggest that Princess is not trying obfuscate the situation. Given that they are in the business of making customers happy, they will do what they can to accomplish that goal. The problem is there are so many stakeholders in the decision process and the rules coming from the CDC are at best a matter of "shifting sand". 

Edited May 28, 2021 by Cool_Dude
additional information.

[memoak]

31 minutes ago, Cool_Dude said:

Not necessarily true. Next Thursday, 3rd of June, there will be a big teleconference with TAs. It is expected that the rules for this summer will be clearly specified. As of now, there are 3 groups that may qualify for an exemption to the vaccine rule - those with a medical reason not to receive the vaccine, those with a religious restriction and yes, those children under 12 of age.

 

I think it is fair to suggest that Princess is not trying obfuscate the situation. Given that they are in the business of making customers happy, they will do what they can to accomplish that goal. The problem is there are so many stakeholders in the decision process and the rules coming from the CDC are at best a matter of "shifting sand". 

My issue is that any anti vaccine person can "claim" religious objection.

[Ombud]

29 minutes ago, Cool_Dude said:

The problem is there are so many stakeholders in the decision process and the rules coming from the CDC are at best a matter of "shifting sand". 

True!!!! For me, each update is more encouraging as far as a 4/11/22 cruise goes (1 grandchild won't be vaccinated as the parent is 🤦‍♂️). But at least 8/15 Alaska won't have a prob

[nocl]

13 hours ago, Grover_ said:

We just booked today because we thought these cruises would be 100% vaccinated.  They even told us on the phone that we had to be vaccinated and would have provide proof before they would complete the booking.  Now I’m finding out that there will be unvaccinated people onboard.  I think I’m going to cancel.  I’m not worried about getting sick, I’m just worried about a repeat of what happened to everyone on the cruises at the start of the pandemic. 🙁

As long as they stick to the 95/98% limits as required the chance of exceeding the 1.5/1% threshholds is highly unlikely.  Also they now have port agreements in place if there are cases on board.

[Grover_]

3 minutes ago, nocl said:

As long as they stick to the 95/98% limits as required the chance of exceeding the 1.5/1% threshholds is highly unlikely.  Also they now have port agreements in place if there are cases on board.

Do you know if the port agreements are public and can be found online?

[nocl]

4 minutes ago, Grover_ said:

Do you know if the port agreements are public and can be found online?

Not that I can find.  However, plenty of confirmation out there concerning the completion of some and that others are in the process.

 

[Steelers36]

10 hours ago, memoak said:

My issue is that any anti vaccine person can "claim" religious objection.

500 cruisers "could" claim this way, but it won't work as there is the small limit per cruise of non-vaccinated passengers, whatever the reason.  This keeps the chances very low of any serious difficulties such as voyage interruption or serious illness.  I don't think we really know how many so-called "anti-vaxxers" exist.  I am thinking most of it is hesitancy due to all the changing information or wanting to see safety with the early adopters.  

[caribill]

Apparently not all ports, including Juneau, are that happy about cruise ships returning.

 

"The yearlong cruise hiatus has given locals in popular port destinations like Key West, Juneau and Bar Harbor, Maine, the chance to see what the actual benefits of cruise ships are to their cities, and contrary to popular belief, they are finding them to be negligible."

 

https://news.yahoo.com/post-covid-cruising-the-ships-are-back-at-sea-but-where-can-they-go-090049162.html

[nocl]

33 minutes ago, caribill said:

Apparently not all ports, including Juneau, are that happy about cruise ships returning.

 

"The yearlong cruise hiatus has given locals in popular port destinations like Key West, Juneau and Bar Harbor, Maine, the chance to see what the actual benefits of cruise ships are to their cities, and contrary to popular belief, they are finding them to be negligible."

 

https://news.yahoo.com/post-covid-cruising-the-ships-are-back-at-sea-but-where-can-they-go-090049162.html

The tendency of cruise lines over crowding ports with more and more passengers. The changing of ports from unique locations to more of the same with the same shops mostly focused on cruise ship passengers has certainly reduced the attractiveness of many port stops.

 

This summer may actually be a good time to go to Alaska, with more of a feel of what it used to be with the limited number of ships sailing.

[caribill]

9 minutes ago, nocl said:

 

 

This summer may actually be a good time to go to Alaska, with more of a feel of what it used to be with the limited number of ships sailing.

 

With only one or two ships from each cruise line doing Alaska this summer and with departures from Seattle spread out during the week, chances are the ports will only see one or two cruise ships there on any given day.

[Ombud]

On 5/28/2021 at 8:23 PM, Steelers36 said:

500 cruisers "could" claim this way, but it won't work as there is the small limit per cruise of non-vaccinated passengers, whatever the reason.  This keeps the chances very low of any serious difficulties such as voyage interruption or serious illness.  I don't think we really know how many so-called "anti-vaxxers" exist.  I am thinking most of it is hesitancy due to all the changing information or wanting to see safety with the early adopters.  

So my August 15th cruise could have as many as 178 unvaxed pax (5% of 3560) if sailing full & they were tested for Covid-19.  I'm vaccinated.  So my chance of getting it from one of them seems minimal. Especially since I'm assuming they even get it. Am I right? 

 

Then let's toss in that a lot of them might be kids (summer cruise) / a lot will be asymptomatic / I won't come in contact with everyone. That's about my odds of getting it in my home town (75%+ with at least 1 shot in Contra Costa County)

 

Yeah not worried

Edited June 1, 2021 by Ombud

[nocl]

44 minutes ago, Ombud said:

So my August 15th cruise could have as many as 178 unvaxed pax (5% of 3560) if sailing full & they were tested for Covid-19.  I'm vaccinated.  So my chance of getting it from one of them seems minimal. Especially since I'm assuming they even get it. Am I right? 

 

Then let's toss in that a lot of them might be kids (summer cruise) / a lot will be asymptomatic / I won't come in contact with everyone. That's about my odds of getting it in my home town (75%+ with at least 1 shot in Contra Costa County)

 

Yeah not worried

Let's see the number of positive tests in the US on a given day is around 20,000. If one assumes that the real count is 3 X. That means 60,000 per day. Increase that by length of infectious period of around 10 days that means that on any given day there would be around 600,000 infectious covid cases.

 

That means that .17 percent of the population or about 1 every 600 if evenly distributed without testing.

 

So the odds of even running into an infected person on a ship with the 95/98% rule is very low.

 

at the rate cases are dropping it will be even lower before the cruises start.

 

Edited June 1, 2021 by nocl

[cruising deacon]

Does anyone really know if vaccinated passengers on these Alaska cruises will have to show a negative covid test prior to boarding?  Of course I understand that all of these things change on a daily basis, but it makes a difference to me today on deciding to book or not.

[azbirdmom]

2 hours ago, cruising deacon said:

Does anyone really know if vaccinated passengers on these Alaska cruises will have to show a negative covid test prior to boarding?  Of course I understand that all of these things change on a daily basis, but it makes a difference to me today on deciding to book or not.

 

According to the CDC it isn't necessary.  But Princess has not yet published their final rules.  They are going to have a joint TA webinar with reps from Princess, HAL, and Seabourn to discuss the new rules.  Hoping we will find out shortly thereafter what their plans will be.  We are booked on one of the first cruises and are anxiously awaiting this news.

[Cool_Dude]

5 hours ago, azbirdmom said:

 

According to the CDC it isn't necessary.  But Princess has not yet published their final rules.  They are going to have a joint TA webinar with reps from Princess, HAL, and Seabourn to discuss the new rules.  Hoping we will find out shortly thereafter what their plans will be.  We are booked on one of the first cruises and are anxiously awaiting this news.

My TA has said that the TC will be tomorrow.

[cruising deacon]

20 hours ago, azbirdmom said:

 

According to the CDC it isn't necessary.  But Princess has not yet published their final rules.  They are going to have a joint TA webinar with reps from Princess, HAL, and Seabourn to discuss the new rules.  Hoping we will find out shortly thereafter what their plans will be.  We are booked on one of the first cruises and are anxiously awaiting this news.

Thanks,    can you post something on this topic when you find out what some of those new rules will be (I don't currently use a TA)

[voljeep]

21 hours ago, azbirdmom said:

 

According to the CDC it isn't necessary.  But Princess has not yet published their final rules.  They are going to have a joint TA webinar with reps from Princess, HAL, and Seabourn to discuss the new rules.  Hoping we will find out shortly thereafter what their plans will be.  We are booked on one of the first cruises and are anxiously awaiting this news.

Florida’s lawsuit, pushed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, is seeking to have the Conditional Sailing Order deemed unlawful. If that happens, the federal attorneys are arguing that cruising in Alaska this summer cannot proceed.

The law signed by President Biden — the Alaska Tourism Restoration Act — temporarily permits “covered cruise ships” to sail in Alaska this summer, where a “covered cruise ship” is defined as one that “has been issued, operates in accordance with and retains a COVID-19 Conditional Sailing Certificate of the CDC” and operates in accordance with that certificate, the CDC noted in its filing.

In other words, the Alaska Tourism Restoration Act only allows for a cruising restart in Alaska this summer if the ships involved get a Conditional Sailing Certificate from the CDC. If the CDC’s Conditional Sailing Order is deemed unlawful, that won’t be happening.

[Sea Hag]

44 minutes ago, voljeep said:

Florida’s lawsuit, pushed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, is seeking to have the Conditional Sailing Order deemed unlawful. If that happens, the federal attorneys are arguing that cruising in Alaska this summer cannot proceed.

The law signed by President Biden — the Alaska Tourism Restoration Act — temporarily permits “covered cruise ships” to sail in Alaska this summer, where a “covered cruise ship” is defined as one that “has been issued, operates in accordance with and retains a COVID-19 Conditional Sailing Certificate of the CDC” and operates in accordance with that certificate, the CDC noted in its filing.

In other words, the Alaska Tourism Restoration Act only allows for a cruising restart in Alaska this summer if the ships involved get a Conditional Sailing Certificate from the CDC. If the CDC’s Conditional Sailing Order is deemed unlawful, that won’t be happening.

Well, I'm sure your right on this, since it does seem to be the logical fallout from that lawsuit. But it surely doesn't make me happy. We're booked on one of the August sailings, and I really had my hopes up.

[voljeep]

49 minutes ago, Sea Hag said:

Well, I'm sure your right on this, since it does seem to be the logical fallout from that lawsuit. But it surely doesn't make me happy. We're booked on one of the August sailings, and I really had my hopes up.

sorry - source of above - MSN - The Points Guy

[beg3yrs]

1 hour ago, voljeep said:

Florida’s lawsuit, pushed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, is seeking to have the Conditional Sailing Order deemed unlawful. If that happens, the federal attorneys are arguing that cruising in Alaska this summer cannot proceed.

The law signed by President Biden — the Alaska Tourism Restoration Act — temporarily permits “covered cruise ships” to sail in Alaska this summer, where a “covered cruise ship” is defined as one that “has been issued, operates in accordance with and retains a COVID-19 Conditional Sailing Certificate of the CDC” and operates in accordance with that certificate, the CDC noted in its filing.

In other words, the Alaska Tourism Restoration Act only allows for a cruising restart in Alaska this summer if the ships involved get a Conditional Sailing Certificate from the CDC. If the CDC’s Conditional Sailing Order is deemed unlawful, that won’t be happening.

Interesting point! However, the judge in the case is not going to declare the CDC's order to be unlawful. Instead, the judge sent the parties to mediation (which was supposed to be complete by June 1). I suspect the mediation will result in more industry-friendly changes to the CDC's order  along with a better understanding of the order itself, rather than it being dropped completely.