***CDC gives RCI GO AHEAD to start test cruises in July***

[Stallion]

3 day cruise might be a good way to test crew protocols, reactions of passengers to protocols and identify problem issues.  Rome wasn't built in a Day. Trial and error seems appropriate. 

[Jimbo]

4 minutes ago, CruisingHogFan said:

I may be wrong but wasn’t there a 30 day wait between test cruises and revenue sailings? Hopefully not the case anymore

Actually even at one time real early it was " mandated 60-day period between test cruise results and revenue cruises,"  

 

No idea what it really is now though.........

[molly361]

So no revenue cruises in July from Florida??

[cured]

56 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

How sucessful do they think an unvacinated cruise will be though? Guessing these are going to be very short cruises.

 

Question though,  is this going to be a win for RCI or CDC?

From the video yesterday, and maybe I misinterpreted, but I got the impression they are still planning on everyone 12+ being vaccinated. However, he said that because Royal Caribbean is a family cruise line, they might not be able to make the 95% vaccinated threshold set by the CDC due to the amount of unvaccinated children under 12 that might be on the cruise. Hence, the necessity of doing the test cruises.

 

Edited May 25, 2021 by cured

[firefly333]

5 minutes ago, molly361 said:

So no revenue cruises in July from Florida??

Carnival says they hope to resume the horizon from miami in july. .. I'll believe it when I see a fully crewed up ship ready to get vaxxed. July sounds impossible to me. 

[nyc12345]

1 minute ago, cured said:

From the video yesterday, and maybe I misinterpreted, but they are still planning on everyone 12+ being vaccinated. However, he said that because Royal Caribbean is a family cruise line, they might not be able to make the 95% vaccinated threshold set by the CDC due to the amount of children under 12 that might be on the cruise. Hence, the necessity of doing the test cruises.

 

 

I think he said Celebrity will go with mostly vaccinated, but Royal will not, because there are more children on Royal...

[atricks]

8 minutes ago, molly361 said:

So no revenue cruises in July from Florida??

 

Don't think we know enough to rule out Florida yet.  Freedom may be the first of several (and the others still could happen before Freedom)

 

[mavo68]

Does anyone know how quick they can actually cruise from the ships that participated in the test cruises after they are completed?

[livingonthebeach]

9 minutes ago, molly361 said:

So no revenue cruises in July from Florida??

 

There's no word on that yet.  Hoping July from Florida can still sail. 

[mavo68]

Just now, atricks said:

 

Don't think we know enough to rule out Florida yet.  Freedom may be the first of several (and the others still could happen before Freedom)

 

Yes but I’m confused why they are doing Freedom if they are cruising out of NJ and the NJ gov said he doesn’t expect cruses for port liberty until end of August. 

[Sunshine3601]

47 minutes ago, paulh84 said:

Where was Freedom supposed to be until late October?

cape liberty, NJ.   I was supposed to be on her in August for Bermuda b2b, then September for NE/Canada sailing.

[livingonthebeach]

If I'm reading one of the conditions correctly it states only / or at least (don't know which one it's hard to read) 10% capacity for the first two simulated cruises.  

Edited May 25, 2021 by livingonthebeach

[cured]

11 minutes ago, nyc12345 said:

 

I think he said Celebrity will go with mostly vaccinated, but Royal will not, because there are more children on Royal...

Right. The amount of unvaccinated children under 12 will skew the numbers and Royal Caribbean may not be able to meet the 95% vaccination threshold set by the CDC to allow resumption without test cruises. 

 

Their website still says that all cruisers from the US and Bahamas will need to be vaccinated, 16 and up before August 1, 12 and up after.

[suzyluvs2cruise]

Letter says Test Cruise Jun 20 - 22 on Freedom  

[Sunshine3601]

33 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Not my idea of good news, as it will cause further delay to restarting cruises to do test cruises.

 

I assume this is to allow more children, not unvaccinated adults, but who knows.

 

I would be pleased if they said we are bringing in full crews that will be vaccinated by july to restart in xyz ports. Not that we are doing test cruises. Oh well . .

I agree I wasn't happy yesterday to hear about these test cruises.     I understand families want to travel but they are saying that later this year the vaccines should be approved for children of all ages to get so let us cruise now Royal with the 95/98% rule and the kiddos that are more than 5% can sail during the holidays, etc. etc.   

Hey I am a family person have 2 sons of my own, don't get me wrong.

[Sunshine3601]

23 minutes ago, molly361 said:

So no revenue cruises in July from Florida??

All the more reason they should have let the Vision sailings happen in Bermuda.   I was all set for my b2b.

[livingonthebeach]

4 minutes ago, suzyluvs2cruise said:

Letter says Test Cruise Jun 20 - 22 on Freedom  

 

Yes that's why I mentioned in an earlier post that the Miami Herald might have gotten the July date confused but all our local news channels are reporting the same thing as the Miami Herald, guess they haven't read the letter on Facebook. 

Edited May 25, 2021 by livingonthebeach

[Sunshine3601]

So once a ship passes its test requirements can it change to another port or does this mean Freedom will do sailings out of Miami this summer?

[livingonthebeach]

Just now, Sunshine3601 said:

So once a ship passes its test requirements can it change to another port or does this mean Freedom will do sailings out of Miami this summer?

 

They haven't said anything yet but hopefully they can change. 

[Jimbo]

3 minutes ago, livingonthebeach said:

 

Yes that's why I mentioned in an earlier post that the Miami Herald might have gotten the July date confused but all our local news channels are reporting the same thing as the Miami Herald, guess they haven't read the letter on Facebook. 

What's the Governor saying, he says June then it's July, he says July then it's June. I would go with that.

Edited May 25, 2021 by Jimbo

[boatseller]

RCI: Hi CDC, we have these protocols we like to....

CDC: Yeah, sure whatever looks good.

RCI: But we want to verify...

CDC: Just do it.  We've got a PR problem right now.  Here's your certificate, just don't show anyone until you're done with the 'test cruises'.  

 

Yes, I'm implying that the 'success' is already determined as a way to make everyone look good.  The CDC has a bigger problem right now than cruise ships.

 

And before anyone labels me as a conspiracy kook, that's what they all said about the current scandal.

[erinsmom03]

I'm happy to hear this, since Freedom out of Miami is my next cruise, and we are booked until January. I'm feeling very hopeful that we will sail!

 

[harkinmr]

7 minutes ago, boatseller said:

RCI: Hi CDC, we have these protocols we like to....

CDC: Yeah, sure whatever looks good.

RCI: But we want to verify...

CDC: Just do it.  We've got a PR problem right now.  Here's your certificate, just don't show anyone until you're done with the 'test cruises'.  

 

Yes, I'm implying that the 'success' is already determined as a way to make everyone look good.  The CDC has a bigger problem right now than cruise ships.

 

And before anyone labels me as a conspiracy kook, that's what they all said about the current scandal.

You ARE a conspiracy kook.  But do go on...

[wolfie11]

1 hour ago, MrCruzdoggie said:

Sweet, we are registered as volunteers..........................

The CDC has stated that these are to be non-revenue generating cruises.  So theoretically that means no booze sales, no gambling, no shops open, and no specialty restaurants.  I wonder if that's why they're only 3 days...

[jrapps]

54 minutes ago, cured said:

From the video yesterday, and maybe I misinterpreted, but I got the impression they are still planning on everyone 12+ being vaccinated. However, he said that because Royal Caribbean is a family cruise line, they might not be able to make the 95% vaccinated threshold set by the CDC due to the amount of unvaccinated children under 12 that might be on the cruise. Hence, the necessity of doing the test cruises.

 

I firmly believe this is the plan as well. I believe the only reason they are doing test cruises is because ships that sail under the RCI banner of the business have a lot of kids onboard. They WILL require vaccines for 12+, I am sure of it, yet the test cruise means they don't have to worry about limiting how many families & kids book. Some cruises may end up having 95%+ vaccinated on it, some might be 94%, 93%, or less. But by doing the test cruise, they have that freedom and flexibility. No need at all to ask people on booking if they are vaccinated, and then block people from booking when they get near or below a 95% threshold.