Another CCL Email re: August Cruises just received:

[Wanna_Cruize]

Synopsis - full text in next message:

• Final payment extended until June 21st.
• No way of knowing how many exemptions they can allow until after Final Payment
• They will allow less than 5% for exemptions to allow for no-shows, etc.
• Will have a process to apply for an exemption, just not right now.

Edited June 12, 2021 by Wanna_Cruize

[Wanna_Cruize]

Dear Carnival Guest:

We are excited about our summer restart and I wanted to follow up on our email from late Thursday about our plans to operate your cruise.

Things are moving quickly, and in our desire to share information with you in timely fashion, we know that there a gaps to fill in.

First, as we work through this restart process and our operations for August, we are extending final payment on your sailing to Monday, June 21.

As we operate to meet the CDC guidelines, there is an exemption process to accommodate a small number of guests who are unable or ineligible to be vaccinated (children under 12 and other exceptions as required by federal law).  The current standard to meet the CDC’s criteria for a fully vaccinated cruise – under which guests can sail without a mask and other restrictions – is that at least 95 percent of all guests on board are fully vaccinated.  In addition, our crew will be fully vaccinated.

We will be sending details next week about this exemption process, and additional protocols as they are finalized.  It’s important to note that the number of exemptions will be a very small subset, will largely be children under 12, and it will be less than 5 percent of guests to account for no shows and other operational matters.  And, we cannot begin to process these exemptions until after all final payments are received and we have certainty on the total number of guests on board – so that we can determine the number of exemptions.  But we are committed to moving as quickly as possible.

In the meantime, it is important that you make sure your booking is up to date, which includes the names and ages of all guests in your party.  You can manage that in the MyCruisePlanner function on Carnival.com, with your Personal Vacation Planner, your travel agent or by calling us at 1-800-CARNIVAL.

Thank you for your support and patience.  We are working hard to restart operations and welcome you and our other great guests back on board.

Sincerely,
 

Christine Duffy
President, Carnival Cruise Line

Edited June 12, 2021 by Wanna_Cruize

[Lee Cruiser]

Has anyone received an email for Horizon in July?  That still seems to be the ones up in the air.

[Wanna_Cruize]

 

3 minutes ago, Lee Cruiser said:

Has anyone received an email for Horizon in July?  That still seems to be the ones up in the air.

I think until the lawsuit is either decided, or mediation creates a compromise, they have no way to decide. Perhaps they will extend your Final Payment Date? Although July cruises are pretty close

 

I  think they will allow flexibility, once final protocols are decided, to allow customers who may have potential issues (children under 12, guests who need an exemption, etc.) some period of time for them  to rebook for a later date. 

[MrMarc]

I wish they would pick a story and stick to it.

[Wanna_Cruize]

FYI, we are booked on Panorama for the first cruise, August 21, out of Long Beach, CA. 

YMMV

[lazydayz]

13 minutes ago, Lee Cruiser said:

Has anyone received an email for Horizon in July?  That still seems to be the ones up in the air.

yes, check your email.  I just got mine.  Says it is a go.  Fingers crossed. 

[sm3ds]

42 minutes ago, MrMarc said:

I wish they would pick a story and stick to it.

It's certainly not making me ever want to try a Carnival cruise. 

[K_e_short]

38 minutes ago, Wanna_Cruize said:

FYI, we are booked on Panorama for the first cruise, August 21, out of Long Beach, CA. 

YMMV

 I want to book the Panorama for December 18th. Interested in hearing how things go in California (vaccines, protocols, delays. etc).

 

[BlerkOne]

56 minutes ago, Lee Cruiser said:

Has anyone received an email for Horizon in July?  That still seems to be the ones up in the air.

Lots of people. The plan is the same but still subject the change. Carnival doesn't control everything.

 

Exemptions won't be processed until after final payment. They need to know how many people are paid to know how many 5% is.

[TNcruising02]

This gives a few people on this cruise a chance to sail with their children if they are able to sign up quickly.  But then the downside is that they can't begin the process until all of the final payments are made.  People won't find out until very close to the cruise time.  That's such a huge risk.

[hurricane0226]

7 minutes ago, TNcruising02 said:

This gives a few people on this cruise a chance to sail with their children if they are able to sign up quickly.  But then the downside is that they can't begin the process until all of the final payments are made.  People won't find out until very close to the cruise time.  That's such a huge risk.

Not enough time to make a decision 

[TNcruising02]

Just now, hurricane0226 said:

Not enough time to make a decision 

Not at all.  Plus, they are not even going to pick 5% of the children.  If I had small children, I would definitely rebook or ask for a refund.  I wonder if people are able to keep their OBC if they rebook.

[hurricane0226]

7 minutes ago, TNcruising02 said:

Not at all.  Plus, they are not even going to pick 5% of the children.  If I had small children, I would definitely rebook or ask for a refund.  I wonder if people are able to keep their OBC if they rebook.

Yes, hope they can keep the OBC,  and be able to get some information when they would be able

to rebook.

[SNJCruisers]

1 hour ago, sm3ds said:

It's certainly not making me ever want to try a Carnival cruise. 

MSC , NCL and RCI would be 3 options for you.  Carnival will not lose any sleep over not having you as a potential customer.   There are millions of possible blue cards out there. 

[mpdog42]

5 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

MSC , NCL and RCI would be 3 options for you.  Carnival will not lose any sleep over not having you as a potential customer.   There are millions of possible blue cards out there. 

But in all fairness, NCL screwed over a lot of people with the Gem/Joy debacle...You can't be loyal to a multi billion dollar corp....

[BoozinCroozin]

The entire situation is fluid. I can't wait to hear all the horror stories of "My exception wasn't approved!" Carnival is known as the family line and lots of family with kids on them. I can see the situation where there is a group or even a family with multiple cabins. One of them is approved as an exception and the other is not. Then what happens if the no shows are greater than expected and on Embarkation Day they have to reject say 5 unvaccinated passengers. How are they going to decide who gets on and who does not... first to board stay and last to show don't?

 

 

[BoozinCroozin]

7 hours ago, hurricane0226 said:

Yes, hope they can keep the OBC,  and be able to get some information when they would be able

to rebook.

If the passenger cancels, I would believe they would lose OBC. If Carnival cancels them, they would be able to keep it. This has been the going cadence for a while now. This is why I believe it is wrong to even draw out the process. They should have started with 0% issues by going vaccine only. Nothing wishy-washy about it. You know immediately whether you can go, the OBC and stuff can be handled, and a date in the future (say Nov 1 for lack of better date) is the first opportunity for unvaccinated passengers. This way no one is in limbo, there is no need for an exemption process, and no risk "day of" being told you can't sail. How nice would that be to show up at the terminal because your flight was late, get there at 2PM, and the cruise line saying you cannot be checked in because they are at the 5% threshhold. Because your plane was late, it was no fault of the cruise line, we will give you a nice FCC instead. Enjoy your week!!!

[firefly333]

1 hour ago, BoozinCroozin said:

If the passenger cancels, I would believe they would lose OBC. If Carnival cancels them, they would be able to keep it. This has been the going cadence for a while now. This is why I believe it is wrong to even draw out the process. They should have started with 0% issues by going vaccine only. Nothing wishy-washy about it. You know immediately whether you can go, the OBC and stuff can be handled, and a date in the future (say Nov 1 for lack of better date) is the first opportunity for unvaccinated passengers. This way no one is in limbo, there is no need for an exemption process, and no risk "day of" being told you can't sail. How nice would that be to show up at the terminal because your flight was late, get there at 2PM, and the cruise line saying you cannot be checked in because they are at the 5% threshhold. Because your plane was late, it was no fault of the cruise line, we will give you a nice FCC instead. Enjoy your week!!!

I'm not sure the cruiselines can help being wishy washy. What if the power hungry cdc doesnt allow the cso to expire on Nov 1st. This is their only power. No cruiseline can say when the cdc will let loose of them. 

[SNJCruisers]

2 hours ago, mpdog42 said:

But in all fairness, NCL screwed over a lot of people with the Gem/Joy debacle...You can't be loyal to a multi billion dollar corp....

Don't know the specifics about the "debacle" you're referring to, but from personal experience,  I have enjoyed my past cruise on the Bliss and my 3 cruises on the Escape.   So much so that I have 5 more booked on them over the next 28 months, including two on the game changing Prima.

[jsglow]

Carnival is doing the best they can given  the circumstances.  They could have simply said '100%' vaccinated.

 

Here's what we do know.  Carnival intends to sail under the fully vaccinated protocols as directed by the CDC, most likely all the way until the end of the CSO.  That means that most families with young kids won't be able to join them.  In my experience, Carnival has been very accommodating in allowing folks to reschedule/cancel cruises during this fluid time.  So plan accordingly. 

[mpdog42]

2 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

Don't know the specifics about the "debacle" you're referring to, but from personal experience,  I have enjoyed my past cruise on the Bliss and my 3 cruises on the Escape.   So much so that I have 5 more booked on them over the next 28 months, including two on the game changing Prima.

You didn't hear about the Gem out of the DR and the Joy out of Nassau's cruises being canceled? I was one of the cruiser's who was told that the Gem's sailings had to be pulled due to staffing issues....".Yeah and the checks in the Mail".....Check it out on the NCL boards if you don't believe me...

[spiritkat090909]

Re: losing OBC.... AFTER 6/14

 

I was told that I had until 6/14 to rebook/cancel/move my reservations for summer vaccinated (95%) sailings or I would lose the OBC.  (My sailings were for Sept/Oct.)

 

I just happened to call and had not gotten a letter. Lost in the netzone, I suppose.  But, I had decided after Christine Duffy's interview that it was time to be proactive with a decision.  I knew we would not be in the 5% exception (2 vax, 2 not) and preference would, and should, be given to children first.  I am gambling that the CSO will be allowed to expire on 11/1 and things will return to semi-normal.

 

Since I had an agent first thing in the am, calls were backing up on hold, computers were crashing from overload...someone HAD gotten their letters!  And I pushed all of mine to later sailings. I had already booked other plan Z's and it was easy enough to transfer funds/obc.  If I had tried to do it online, I would have been penalized 200 per booking, so call necessary.  I was told hold time up to 4 hours the last time they had to do this type of thing.

[surfone]

2 hours ago, jsglow said:

Carnival is doing the best they can given  the circumstances.  They could have simply said '100%' vaccinated.

 

Here's what we do know.  Carnival intends to sail under the fully vaccinated protocols as directed by the CDC, most likely all the way until the end of the CSO.  That means that most families with young kids won't be able to join them.  In my experience, Carnival has been very accommodating in allowing folks to reschedule/cancel cruises during this fluid time.  So plan accordingly. 

Yes, Carnival has been very accommodating.  I believe they would not have had any major issues with bookings to fill their ships going 100 percent vaxxed.  But, did consider a few with children.  I believe it is still in the best interest for cruiselines, the majority of passengers, foreign cruise port stops that the initial cruises be at or close to the 100 percent vaxxed. You look at the celebrity cruise out of St Martin who had the 95 to 100 percent vaxxed and still had a few covid cases.  Can you imagine if cruiselines allowed all unvaxx....most likely it would be a major outbreak.  I think the cruiselines are doing the best for these initial cruises and I personally would not want my children or unvaxxed family on a unvaxxed cruise for awhile.  I think we will know a lot more and for the better in a few months after seeing the outcome with so many lines resuming.  It will be month by month to see how things progress.  I still wonder how a unvaxx cruise will be able to sail without some major outbreaks and that goes for vaxxed cruises too next year as the initial covid shots expire and many choose not to get the booster.  So much of the unknown for the cruise lines.  It will be interesting to see it unfold (already is)

[Torchwood]

15 hours ago, Wanna_Cruize said:

FYI, we are booked on Panorama for the first cruise, August 21, out of Long Beach, CA. 

YMMV

I cancelled this one yesterday, rebooked for next year. Will plan different vacation this year, can't wait any longer, not giving Carnival final payment without knowing if child can go.