Texas Gov. Greg Abbott joins the party...

[Goodtime Cruizin]

1 hour ago, Tree_skier said:

Galveston is so far from Houstons airports.  After flying to Houston the last thing I want is an hours Uber to Galveston.  I'm going to do it but it is an annoyance.  

 

I'm not sure where they would port from. Princess trued to make a go of it from the Port of Houston. They left but I'm not sure why. Either the port fees or a lack of bookings. I'm not sure. The point is, the cruiselines have a choice. either the Port of Houston or the Port of Galveston. For some reason, both Carnival & Royal have selected the island. Yes... the island. Most people do not realize that Galveston is an island that is also a city that has a port. 

 

But the dredging of the Buffalo Bayou and Galveston Bay back in 1910 to open a 'ship channel' is a fascinating story and read.  It changed the landscape of shipping and left the Port of Galveston as a second choice. 

 

https://canalcartage.com/canal-cartage-company/the-interesting-history-behind-port-of-houston-texas/#:~:text=The Houston Ship Channel was created by dredging,45 feet deep%2C and over 50 miles long.

[firefly333]

Hobby airport is 45 minutes from Galveston. IAH the international airport they say is a hour and a half from Galveston though I've never been.

 

Lots of family owned private cruise parking lots walking distance or they have awesome shuttle service. Most hotels allow cruise parking but I'd have to pay for uber, might as well pay for cruise parking and get out of there faster. 

 

The port of Galveston has done many covid upgrades and is all ready for us. Lights and ventilation, I guess partitions. Cost a bunch but it's all done. All indications are july 3rd vista is a go.

[jimd909]

5 hours ago, Junkhouse said:

We have federal HIPPA laws to prevent this. What would people say if you had to prove your status on AIDS/HIV? What about contact tracing? Until Congress changes the law it is law, COVID or no COVID.

It's unfortunate some don't understand what HIPAA actually means.

Edited June 8, 2021 by jimd909

[Mikew0805]

5 hours ago, Junkhouse said:

We have federal HIPPA laws to prevent this. What would people say if you had to prove your status on AIDS/HIV? What about contact tracing? Until Congress changes the law it is law, COVID or no COVID.

That is now how HIPAA (Abbreviated correctly) works. There is absolutely no breach of HIPAA if you as an individual provide YOUR health information to anyone/anyplace at all. HIPAA protects you from healthcare workers/companies from sharing your PHI with someone/someplace without your consent.

 

FTLOG!

[jimd909]

44 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

The TX law ONLY applies to state government offices and state funded entities, NOT private business. 

Read the OP's link.  This is a DIFFERENT law that was signed.  

Edited June 8, 2021 by jimd909

[Goodtime Cruizin]

17 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Hobby airport is 45 minutes from Galveston. IAH the international airport they say is a hour and a half from Galveston though I've never been.

 

Lots of family owned private cruise parking lots walking distance or they have awesome shuttle service. Most hotels allow cruise parking but I'd have to pay for uber, might as well pay for cruise parking and get out of there faster. 

 

The port of Galveston has done many covid upgrades and is all ready for us. Lights and ventilation, I guess partitions. Cost a bunch but it's all done. All indications are july 3rd vista is a go.

 

If you fly: 

IAH Bush Int'l is due North of Houston & Galveston is due South. As a result one has to either go around Houston or through Houston. It is an 1hr 20 min drive to the cruise terminal. If you uber, the key is to communicate w/ your driver and to make sure that he takes 'the Beltway' that goes around Houston and not through DT Houston. Due to contstruction and potential traffic accidents, I would avoid going through DT Houston.

 

Hobby Airport is south of DT Houston and Galveston is due south. It's located right off I-45S which is the interstate that takes you directly to Galveston. So it's prerry much a straight shot to the island. About a 50 min drive to the cruise terminal. 

[Colorado Babe]

21 minutes ago, jimd909 said:

It's unfortunate some don't understand what HIPAA actually means.

It is my understanding that most folks do not understand that the COVID Jab has not been approved by the CDC yet, so it really is not a vaccine.  The CDC has only approved the COVID jab for emergency use.  So much misinformation out there.    

[firefly333]

17 minutes ago, jimd909 said:

Read the OP's link.  This is a DIFFERENT law that was signed.  

Which has been addressed many times. Even the houston paper posted that carnival looked at it, no

 

I swear people are dying to find problems. They ignore post after post and then post about something they want to be a problem. The post from john heald was just this morning . ...after the new law signed. 

[harkinmr]

1 hour ago, not-enough-cruising said:

The TX law ONLY applies to state government offices and state funded entities, NOT private business. 

I think the Texas Governor would beg to differ.  He is clearly trying to glom onto the footsteps of Governor DeSantis.  I guess some tweaks were made by the legislature to ban all private businesses from requiring proof of vaccine.  The question still remains, however, whether this ban or the Florida one actually apply to the cruise lines.  My bet is, legally, no.  Notwithstanding, the cruise lines will push back on this and I think a resolution will be found.

 

https://www.kvue.com/article/news/politics/texas-legislature/abbott-law-banning-vaccine-passport-requirements/269-68949a72-791f-4155-a32b-e5eeffbfd82a

[At Sea At Peace]

1 hour ago, Tony O said:

What I find interesting  about both Abbott and DeSantis  they both keep repeating  over and over how we have to get government out of interfering with private business / enterprise. But yet they are both doing the opposite. 

 

Actually, their States are trying to keep the agencies of the federal government "out of interfering with private business / enterprise" but they (the agencies of the federal government) are doing the opposite.

[Goodtime Cruizin]

2 hours ago, ChutChut said:

How so? It appears modeled after Florida's law. Vaccine verifications are prohibited but masks, testing, etc. aren't. Only "better" thing is no fine - just possible business loss and loss of license, etc.

 

Believe me when I tell you that here in Texas, very few business' will be punished as there is absolutely no one requiring proof of vaccine. I do think this was put into place as a safeguard. 

[cruiselvr04]

Some private businesses in Texas are still requiring masks to enter but no one of course can ask about your vaccine status.  Other businesses have signs on the door that say masks aren’t used by employees as a warning.  It runs the gamut here. 
 

I want to book from Galveston in November but am waiting to see how this all shakes out.  I want to be on a vaccinated ship simply because I don’t want a quarantine ship.  I also would love the freedom of walking around a ship with no concern about covid without a mask as Celebrity is doing now.  How wonderful that would be!.

[harkinmr]

17 minutes ago, Colorado Babe said:

It is my understanding that most folks do not understand that the COVID Jab has not been approved by the CDC yet, so it really is not a vaccine.  The CDC has only approved the COVID jab for emergency use.  So much misinformation out there.    

Yes.  Starting with your post.  The vaccine has been approved by the FDA for emergency use and will be approved fully by the end of the Summer.  And those of us who have taken the vaccine are aware of that and have done our research. The CDC does NOT have any approval rights over a vaccine or any other medication.  And the term "the Jab" is a pejorative used by those who don't understand the science.  Misinformation is rampant apparently.

[Colorado Babe]

13 minutes ago, harkinmr said:

Yes.  Starting with your post.  The vaccine has been approved by the FDA for emergency use and will be approved fully by the end of the Summer.  And those of us who have taken the vaccine are aware of that and have done our research. The CDC does NOT have any approval rights over a vaccine or any other medication.  And the term "the Jab" is a pejorative used by those who don't understand the science.  Misinformation is rampant apparently.

Lighten up Harkinmr.  I stopped getting vaccines in 2002 when I retired from the military.  Apparently, you never served so would't understand the slang we used  for a vaccine.  

Edited June 8, 2021 by Colorado Babe

[circuitrider]

42 minutes ago, Mikew0805 said:

That is now how HIPAA (Abbreviated correctly) works. There is absolutely no breach of HIPAA if you as an individual provide YOUR health information to anyone/anyplace at all. HIPAA protects you from healthcare workers/companies from sharing your PHI with someone/someplace without your consent.

 

FTLOG!

There's various parts to HIPAA. From my understanding:

 

The cruise line cannot just contact your doctor and ask if you've been vaccinated. I mean they could, but the doctor's office legally can NOT just hand over that information. Now, if the cruise line had consent, meaning you signed a form saying that you authorized the disclosure of your vaccination status, THEN the doctor's office could provide that information. They're just not allowed to reveal medical information, including vaccination status, without your consent.

 

The part that might be a bit tricky, is if the cruise line is allowed to ask for your vaccination status in the first place. I think yes, and if you disagree then try signing up your child for public school and see how many times you're asked for their vaccination records (and then see what happens if you don't consent). Vaccination status doesn't seem to be protected in the same way as actual medical conditions. I.e. I can see that a cruise line can be allowed to ask for proof of a Covid vaccination, but NOT ask if you've been previously infected with Covid.

 

That said, I see a simple fix that should make everyone happy. Mandatory testing, which you may exempt yourself from if you provide proof of being fully vaccinated. There is absolutely no requirement to provide vaccination status, they won't even ask! Just stand here in the long line to have a nasal swab tickle your brain...or show your proof of vaccination if you prefer to skip all that. And if the port they're stopping at requires everyone to have proof of vaccination...stay away from the long line of people getting off the ship. Go enjoy Windjammer's for lunch, and marvel at how easy it is to find a table when the ship's in port.

[Canadianmama3]

So what is everyone going to do when other countries start requiring proof of vaccination for people to enter? I guess stay home and go nowhere? 

[DCGuy64]

16 minutes ago, harkinmr said:

And the term "the Jab" is a pejorative used by those who don't understand the science.

You've got to be kidding with this one. Nearly every poster on CC who's from the UK uses the term "jab" to refer to the vaccination. Nothing pejorative at all about it.

[circuitrider]

11 minutes ago, Colorado Babe said:

Lighten up Harkinmr.  I stopped getting vaccines in 2002 when I retired from the military.  Apparently, you never served so would't understand the slang we used  for a vaccine.  

I wouldn't consider what they did to be a "jab". Literal gun with trigger, if anything deserved to be called a "shot" it was that. One guy made the mistake of moving while he was getting his.

 

Edit: talking about military vaccines, not Covid. First Covid shot didn't feel a thing, bit of a pinch for the second. Too easy.

Edited June 8, 2021 by circuitrider

[Colorado Babe]

1 minute ago, circuitrider said:

I wouldn't consider what they did to be a "jab". Literal gun with trigger, if anything deserved to be called a "shot" it was that. One guy made the mistake of moving while he was getting his.

 

Edit: talking about military vaccines, not Covid. First Covid shot didn't feel a thing, bit of a pinch for the second. Too easy.

That poor guy.  I bet he learned his lesson.  I don't miss the mobility lines.  Thank Gawd that is over.

[George C]

16 minutes ago, Colorado Babe said:

Lighten up Harkinmr.  I stopped getting vaccines in 2002 when I retired from the military.  Apparently, you never served so would't understand the slang we used  for a vaccine.  

When I got draft in 1969 , we got a shot with a sort of gun that injected several different stuff one in each arm at the same time , on the one side it was ok, the other side everyone’s arm was bleeding. Don’t recall them asking us for our consent.

[Colorado Babe]

1 minute ago, George C said:

When I got draft in 1969 , we got a shot with a sort of gun that injected several different stuff one in each arm at the same time , on the one side it was ok, the other side everyone’s arm was bleeding. Don’t recall them asking us for our consent.

No, they will not ask you for your consent.  You're the property of the U.S. Government.  I.E. Experiment, guinea pig, etc.

[Goodtime Cruizin]

3 minutes ago, George C said:

When I got draft in 1969 , we got a shot with a sort of gun that injected several different stuff one in each arm at the same time , on the one side it was ok, the other side everyone’s arm was bleeding. Don’t recall them asking us for our consent.

 

Thanks for your service buddy! 

 

[BSocial]

56 minutes ago, Goodtime Cruizin said:

 

Believe me when I tell you that here in Texas, very few business' will be punished as there is absolutely no one requiring proof of vaccine. I do think this was put into place as a safeguard. 

Methodist hospital is only one I’ve heard requiring the COVID vaccine for employees, to protect their patients.  Press reports about 99% already vaccinated.  (Saw on news about 100 employees have a lawsuit).   
 

Does the law state as a matter of providing service (patrons), or does it also prohibit as a requirement for employment  ?  
 

p.s. guess I am off topic with this post 

 

Edited June 8, 2021 by BSocial
p.s.

[ArthurUSCG]

34 minutes ago, Colorado Babe said:

That poor guy.  I bet he learned his lesson.  I don't miss the mobility lines.  Thank Gawd that is over.

Those lines sucked, it felt like you were a cog in a machine. Step, halt, step, halt, step, halt, step, all while the medic was making alternating clicking and pow sounds from changing the cartridge and firing the gun.

[John&LaLa]

2 hours ago, Jimbo said:

I don't think Disney cares that much about sailing in 2021, they are gearing up for 2022 cruises.

 

They're just floating around offshore. Teasing us.😉