Big change to UK sailings

[boxman52]

Double vaccine 14 days in advance of boarding you can go. Under 18 need test
Over 18 partial or not 14 days can't board

 

[ziggyuk]

Yes, they his our cruise with 5 days notice, here is the email:

 

 

 

Following the announcement on 14 June 2021 delaying the planned easing of COVID restrictions and the continuation of certain capacity restrictions applicable to MSC Virtuosa, we have worked tirelessly and engaged with the relevant authorities to protect as many holidays as possible.

 

We hereby inform you that the UK Government has today, 28^th June 2021, advised an important change to the cruise operators who can now sail at an increased capacity of 50% under the condition that operators ensure that adult guests onboard are fully vaccinated, with exemptions for children under the age of 18 and certain adults that may not be eligible or able to be vaccinated.

 

Guests are considered fully vaccinated 14 days after the second dose and proof of vaccination (e.g. NHS app, vaccination card, certificate etc.) will need to be presented upon embarkation. Failure to produce evidence will result in refusal of embarkation.

 

All exempt unvaccinated guests and children 2 years and older, will need to take a lateral flow (antigen) or PCR (molecular) swab test within 72 hours prior to the ship’s departure. Proof of a negative test result will be requested at the terminal, and we will accept evidence such as an email, SMS or a printed document. The test is not required for fully vaccinated (any proof of vaccination needed) or under 2 years old guests.

In light of this update, please read the below instructions

 

If you are already fully vaccinated or will be at the time of travel, please ensure you bring proof of vaccination upon embarkation. Failure to produce this will result in refusal of embarkation.

 

For those of you who are not yet fully vaccinated (see definition above) or are only partially vaccinated (i.e. one dose), we encourage you to take advantage of our flexible cruise programme in order to move your cruise, without incurring any price difference, to a sailing that departs after you are fully vaccinated. Please contact our booking team on 0203 426 3010 who will be happy to assist you.  Alternatively, those of you who do not wish to re-schedule your holiday you can request a refund which will be processed within 14 days from the day MSC receive the request. Please email operationsuk@msccruises.co.uk to initiate the refund process.

We appreciate your understanding and look forward to welcoming you onboard as soon as possible.  

 

Kind Regards,

 

Charlotte Jones

Head of Contact Centre UK and Ireland

 

[ziggyuk]

This is a truly heartless act by MSC for those who were sailing in 5 days and thought they were OK being unvaxed on the only cruise line from the UK allowing the unvaxed!

[JPMoore]

This is an absolutely appalling decision made by MSC.

 

I am 28 and managed to get my first vaccine around 2 weeks ahead of under 30s being eligible for the vaccine. Even then my 2nd jab isn’t until 20 July. 
 

It’s likely I’ll request a refund for this cruise, and also request a full refund for my September cruise. This is the nail in the coffin for me and MSC, I think.

[boxman52]

1 minute ago, ziggyuk said:

This is a truly heartless act by MSC for those who were sailing in 5 days and thought they were OK being unvaxed on the only cruise line from the UK allowing the unvaxed!

I saw this coming from the mail they sent out last week. The odd language pointed in that direction.

They should have said at the earliest point possible that their intention was to change the sailing to fully vaccinated. This would have given people a chance to make other arrangements.

If you want to look for the root cause it was a decision to advertise non fully vaccinated cruises. Once that decision was made this situation was a distinct possibility. At the very least they could have changed the policy weeks ago.

As it is now they must have concluded letting one group down is the best way forward. It seems very unfair on people who were in the first 1000 but now can't go

 

[Beamafar]

You haven’t been vaccinated, Ziggy?

[ziggyuk]

1 minute ago, Beamafar said:

You haven’t been vaccinated, Ziggy?

 

We are both fully vaccinated but I'm heartbroken for the people on our roll call that have been hit by this.

 

[Beamafar]

Just now, ziggyuk said:

 

We are both fully vaccinated but I'm heartbroken for the people on our roll call that have been hit by this.

 

 

Totally agree - just thought you might have been impacted, too.  Was concerned for you.

[ziggyuk]

1 minute ago, Beamafar said:

 

Totally agree - just thought you might have been impacted, too.  Was concerned for you.

 

Thank you, I appreciate the thoughts.

[boxman52]

9 minutes ago, ziggyuk said:

 

We are both fully vaccinated but I'm heartbroken for the people on our roll call that have been hit by this.

 

How many people will lose out?

MSC I assume have made some sort of estimate that this means more than a thousand will get on

[Beamafar]

@ziggyuk  I hadn’t been following the other thread so wasn’t up to speed on the situation.   It’s a nightmare scenario and am kinda sorry I have cruises booked.

 

Definitely not accepting any FCCs in the future if they’re cancelled as they’re the reason for booking in the first place.   Sick of this uncertainty now.

We were lulled into a false sense of some sort of normality to expect once vaccines were rolled out. 

[ziggyuk]

1 minute ago, boxman52 said:

How many people will lose out?

MSC I assume have made some sort of estimate that this means more than a thousand will get on

 

You would think they could have bit the bullet until the 19th.

They will have weight up 1000 mixed customers with 3000 vaccinated, if it's true they had 4000 booked on our cruise then a accountant would pick the 3000.

[dritan]

So sorry for younger passengers who no fault of their own are now missing out - that's really bad.  

[boxman52]

3 minutes ago, ziggyuk said:

 

You would think they could have bit the bullet until the 19th.

They will have weight up 1000 mixed customers with 3000 vaccinated, if it's true they had 4000 booked on our cruise then a accountant would pick the 3000.

If it is 4000 how do they know it's going to hit the 50% mark?

An accountant if it was 1000 would have done it on the basis of spend per person not first booked

Makes you wonder how long they had this up their sleeves. Maybe they all along sold to the 50% mark for these dates. In effect they have changed policies after selling berths

 

 

[ziggyuk]

5 minutes ago, boxman52 said:

If it is 4000 how do they know it's going to hit the 50% mark?

An accountant if it was 1000 would have done it on the basis of spend per person not first booked

Makes you wonder how long they had this up their sleeves. Maybe they all along sold to the 50% mark for these dates. In effect they have changed policies after selling berths

 

 

 

No, I think they were able to go to 80% if freedom day had happened but when it was postponed they were up a creak without a paddle, the ship was overbooked and they were having to reduce to 1000 pax.

We don't know for sure that 4000 is true but we do know it was overbooked,

[boxman52]

9 minutes ago, ziggyuk said:

 

No, I think they were able to go to 80% if freedom day had happened but when it was postponed they were up a creak without a paddle, the ship was overbooked and they were having to reduce to 1000 pax.

We don't know for sure that 4000 is true but we do know it was overbooked,

They must know the numbers are going to be 50% otherwise it's going to be turning people away at the port

I also see people thinking the words in the mail around exemption and eligibility mean people who aren't yet been called for a 2nd shot can go.

It's not very clear

 

[CaroleC]

A lot of NHS staff who booked this sailing as it was the first departure with 30% discount now won’t be able to go. So this is the thanks they get for all their hard work since the start of the pandemic! 🤯🤬

[kernow]

22 minutes ago, boxman52 said:

If it is 4000 how do they know it's going to hit the 50% mark?

An accountant if it was 1000 would have done it on the basis of spend per person not first booked

Makes you wonder how long they had this up their sleeves. Maybe they all along sold to the 50% mark for these dates. In effect they have changed policies after selling berths

 

 

I think they were booked to 50% all along. When I  did the thread onboard someone asked the policy for the later cruises and the concierge told me up to 50% which I posted at the time.

 

Really sorry for those who will now lose out with the new policy.

[kernow]

2 minutes ago, CaroleC said:

A lot of NHS staff who booked this sailing as it was the first departure with 30% discount now won’t be able to go. So this is the thanks they get for all their hard work since the start of the pandemic! 🤯🤬

I think most NHS staff will have been double vaccinated a while ago. If not at least they can now rebook with price protected.

[CaroleC]

11 minutes ago, kernow said:

I think most NHS staff will have been double vaccinated a while ago.

Yes but not their partners unless they’re NHS staff too

[kernow]

Just now, CaroleC said:

Yes but not their partners unless they’re NHS staff too

You're right, I didn't think of that.

[carlmm]

1 hour ago, ziggyuk said:

 

We hereby inform you that the UK Government has today, 28^th June 2021, advised an important change to the cruise operators who can now sail at an increased capacity of 50% under the condition that operators ensure that adult guests onboard are fully vaccinated,

 

 

1 hour ago, ziggyuk said:

This is a truly heartless act by MSC 

 

1 hour ago, JPMoore said:

This is an absolutely appalling decision made by MSC.

 

 

Why do feel the need to blame MSC?

 

"the UK Government has today, 28^th June 2021, advised an important change"

"under the condition that operators ensure that adult guests onboard are fully vaccinated,"

 

How about blaming the government?

 Do not shoot the messenger who in this case is a victim, too.

 

[ziggyuk]

29 minutes ago, carlmm said:

 

 

 

Why do feel the need to blame MSC?

 

"the UK Government has today, 28^th June 2021, advised an important change"

"under the condition that operators ensure that adult guests onboard are fully vaccinated,"

 

How about blaming the government?

 Do not shoot the messenger who in this case is a victim, too.

 

 

I have been trying to find evidence there was a change in the rues by the UK government today and have been unable to find any evidence.

 

I'm not convinced this is a new regulation and I'm not convinced the previous 1000 pax arrangement was removed.

 

I'm still looking for evidence of this change in the regulations but right now nada.

 

I also do not believe the government would impose new regulations to a ship that sails in 5 days and is already at capacity, they don't have a record or doing anything quickly when it comes to Covid.

I believe sailing at 1000 capacity this weekend would have been an option they had.

 

Edited June 28, 2021 by ziggyuk

[Cruiseforever11]

1 minute ago, ziggyuk said:

 

I have been trying to find evidence there was a change in the rues by the UK government today and have been unable to find any evidence.

 

I'm not convinced this is a new regulation and I'm not convinced the previous 1000 pax arrangement was removed.

 

I'm still looking for evidence of this change in the regulations but right now nada.

 

 

I was thinking the same thing. What are the likes of p&o and RC doing are they still sailing with 1000pax fully vax? I did wonder a couple of days ago that if the government allowed msc to change the rules if it is msc then surely the other cruise lines would be up in arms about it 🤔

[ziggyuk]

3 minutes ago, Cruiseforever11 said:

I was thinking the same thing. What are the likes of p&o and RC doing are they still sailing with 1000pax fully vax? I did wonder a couple of days ago that if the government allowed msc to change the rules if it is msc then surely the other cruise lines would be up in arms about it 🤔

 

I added a bit more to that post after you quoted me but it just does not make any sense these rules could have been forced on MSC for a ship sailing in 5 days, they literally never do anything that swiftly when it comes to covid.