What is Princess's current take on vaccinations?

[TinaLee]

Well, this is certainly disappointing news. I took them at their word when I booked, that it would be 100% vaccinated when we sail from Seattle to Alaska. Seems like things are changing once again. 

[Sea Hag]

20 minutes ago, TinaLee said:

Well, this is certainly disappointing news. I took them at their word when I booked, that it would be 100% vaccinated when we sail from Seattle to Alaska. Seems like things are changing once again. 

Me too. Not so happy about this.

[matadams4u]

I certainly hope Princess sticks to a vaccination policy but things are very complex and evolving.

 

My next scheduled Princess cruise is from Ft. Lauderdale to Barcelona next March.  I’m pretty certain the vaccination protocol will be driven by what can get you into the EU.

 

My next trip is a river cruise in Peru in September.  Things don’t look good in Peru right now.  Even vaccinated I probably will need to be masked and social distanced if the trip doesn’t get cancelled.

 

The data coming out on Pfizer is looking pretty good with minimal risk.  Also the vaccines are holding up well against variants. I decided to stop wearing a mask at work (pretty open and good social distancing) but continue to wear a mask shopping and at casinos.  I stopped wearing a mask in lightly attended movie theaters.

 

So the data is showing good promise for the vaccinated but the new CDC protocols have actually increased the risk by about 69% for the unvaccinated.  As for the unvaccinated that have had COVID it is not clear how well the antibodies hold up to the variants.
 

With time more studies will come out.  However, the US is just one country and 4% of the world’s population so how much we can travel depends a lot on what is going on throughout the rest of the world and things are changing daily.  Making risk assessments will be somewhat complex for a while but I feel more comfortable knowing I am vaccinated and the people around me are vaccinated.

 

 

[Scotmay]

4 hours ago, HaveDogWillTravel said:

Thanks. I watched the whole thing. 

John Chernesky is VP of Princess Sales. According to him Princess will be allowing unvaccinated children under 12 and others up to the CDC limits. 

Since I’m on the very first cruise I wish they’d not make exemptions.  In theory that should be fine. I know I won’t get covid, or if I do it will not be severe. But the burning question of what happens if someone comes down with covid (quarantine for the whole ship?) was flashed on the board during Q&A at the end but he didn’t answer it. 
I’d really hate to get carted off to some army barracks for a two week quarantine or left floating at sea and not allowed to leave my room. 
 

He said we can cancel up to 30 days before sailing and get any penalties as a FCC. I hope they have answers to what happens if someone in that 5%  (or anyone for that matter) gets sick before then. 

Yes, this has opened up a whole can of worms. You may not die, but you could have a very lonely & unhappy cruise because some unvaccinated passenger brought the virus onboard. Don’t think that’s a good enough answer for me!!!

[HaveDogWillTravel]

This is the email I sent Jan Swartz today. It’ll probably be of no use but I felt better. 

subject line was

“100% vaccinated should mean 100% vaccinated not anything less”

 

jswartz@princesscruises.com

 

Greetings Ms. Swartz

 

Thank you for your careful and calm stewardship of Princess Cruise Line through these troubled times.

 

I am excited to be booked (xxxxxxx) on the first July 25th sailing out of Seattle to Alaska.  My travel summary, passage contract and the FAQ page on the Princess "Cruise Health" webpage all say the same thing.  Everyone must provide proof of completing an approved vaccine regimen at least 14 days prior to sailing.  This is the entire reason I booked with Princess on this very first sailing.  I knew you would keep me safe and I would have an incredible experience just like the last 5 times I have sailed with Princess to Alaska.  

 

I watched the entirety of Princess VP of Sales, John Chernesky's TA webinar that streamed on FB today (May 25).  I was disappointed to hear him say that exceptions to the vaccine requirement would be made for religious reasons, medical reasons, and for children under 12 up to the CDC allowance (currently 5%).  

 

1. Since everyone is allowed to roam free at all ports and Alaska is not entirely covid free there is now a real risk an unvaccinated passenger will become infected.  This will have an extremely negative impact on all passengers.  Will it be another Diamond or Grand Princess horror?  Not the deaths or severe illness necessarily due to the high vaccination rate, but quarantines, lack of ship board freedoms, not being able to disembark and fly home........ I am surprised you are willing to risk this being anything but a PERFECT restart.   

 

2. I understand these exempted guests will be tested.  But unless they are tested upon boarding and quarantined for at least 5 days and tested again you simply will have no way of knowing if they became infected either on the way to the port or at some other moment between any required pre trip (72 hours is the norm) required negative test. They would of course be contagious while roaming the ship and the ports.  I am surprised your tolerance for any COVID on any Princess ship is not zero after the events on the Diamond, Grand and Ruby.  

 

3. I know the process of proving vaccination is not yet finalized, but I am fairly certain there will be those that get on with falsified records.  Recently someone in my community was arrested for supplying falsified vaccine cards.  So what ever the method is it would be prudent to plan for a certain percentage who will skirt it.  These unvaccinated guests will be in addition to those you've knowingly allowed on board.  

 

Thank you for your time and attention to these urgent concerns of mine.  

 

Your faithful Princess Elite  passenger

 

Jacqueline xxxxxx

 

 

[ehogan]

Havedog.... thanks for sending this letter.  I once read that for every letter a customer sends, there are at least 1000 others who are of the same opinion.  I am one of those 1000.  
 

I have three Princess cruises in the works.  My condition for sailing  is 100% vaccinated, no exceptions.  Even though I am vaccinated I have absolutely no intention of being stuck on a ship that has covid.  I have been on enough cruises ...40 plus and have gotten enough bugs on board to know just how easy it is to pass illness along on board.

 

Those three cruises will be cancelled.

[HaveDogWillTravel]

1 minute ago, ehogan said:

Havedog.... thanks for sending this letter.  I once read that for every letter a customer sends, there are at least 1000 others who are of the same opinion.  I am one of those 1000.  
 

I have three Princess cruises in the works.  My condition for sailing  is 100% vaccinated, no exceptions.  Even though I am vaccinated I have absolutely no intention of being stuck on a ship that has covid.  I have been on enough cruises ...40 plus and have gotten enough bugs on board to know just how easy it is to pass illness along on board.

 

Those three cruises will be cancelled.

Exactly. I would encourage you to write to Jan. Represent another 1000. Nothing is in stone yet and perhaps we can still have some influence. 
 

 

[srpilo]

15 hours ago, PrincessLuver said:

 

I have a feeling it is more likely They Do Not want to take the vaccine for whatever reason......they are probably the same people who cannot wear a mask for some vague mysterious medical reason.....there is always the Mark Twin Riverboat at Disneyland for those poor souls........

 

Maybe the same people who bring baby donkeys on airplanes as "support animals" 🤡

[Ombud]

36 minutes ago, HaveDogWillTravel said:

Exactly. I would encourage you to write to Jan. Represent another 1000. Nothing is in stone yet and perhaps we can still have some influence. 

Done ✔ 

 

I've also asked her to reiterate that it's fully vaccinated not 2nd dose and that religious exemption is too easy to falsify. I mean, why forge it when you can just say it's against your religion 

[ebeluga]

10 minutes ago, Ombud said:

Done ✔ 

 

I've also asked her to reiterate that it's fully vaccinated not 2nd dose and that religious exemption is too easy to falsify. I mean, why forge it when you can just say it's against your religion 

Those same religious kinds were the ones who insisted on indoor gatherings in the height of the pandemic against public health orders!

[Geobugs]

[HaveDogWillTravel]

37 minutes ago, Ombud said:

Done ✔ 

 

I've also asked her to reiterate that it's fully vaccinated not 2nd dose and that religious exemption is too easy to falsify. I mean, why forge it when you can just say it's against your religion 

You’d forge it because they will only allow the percentage CDC says (currently 5%) is ok without a vaccine . With a forged doc you aren’t subjected to that limitation. 

[mcgratru]

On 5/25/2021 at 2:40 AM, HaveDogWillTravel said:

J&J is an approved vaccine. 

USA approved....what about canadian and UK travellers who have astra-zeneca which is approved in those countries?

[azbirdmom]

5 minutes ago, mcgratru said:

USA approved....what about canadian and UK travellers who have astra-zeneca which is approved in those countries?

 

CDC states that vaccines approved by the WHO such as AstraZeneca are acceptable.  Here's just one of the references about what fully vaccinated people can do - scroll to the bottom where you'll see the reference to AZ:  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html

[mcgratru]

Good to know! Thanks.

[2 cruises a year]

On 5/25/2021 at 9:51 AM, ontheweb said:

I think we can definitely say there will be absolutely no Alaska cruise out of Florida.🤣🤦‍♂️

At least not until the CDC extends the seven day limit. 😂