New Protocols for August Symphony with Insurance Requirement if Unvaccinated

[Babr]

3 minutes ago, coldflame said:

 

This is disappointing as it makes their COVID-19 policies confusing

 

 

Maybe they think they will have more problems on the Florida sailings because they will have more unvaccinated, and they are not willing to foot the bill.

 

We have already seen what has happened on a couple of earlier sailings. Insurance isn’t going to charter a jet for people who test positive. They’ll likely have to quarantine in a contracted hotel until they test negative in order to fly home. Unless of course, they require treatment in a hospital

[jrapps]

19 minutes ago, coldflame said:

 

This is disappointing as it makes their COVID-19 policies confusing

 

 

I really wonder sometimes who Royal hired as a website copy editor. It's not that hard to write clear and concise language, yet Royal seems to screw it up EVERY TIME. Every policy of theirs is just so darn confusing. It's like they are intentionally opening it up to confusion.

[RFerrington]

Just now, jrapps said:

I really wonder sometimes who Royal hired as a website copy editor. It's not that hard to write clear and concise language, yet Royal seems to screw it up EVERY TIME. Every policy of theirs is just so darn confusing. It's like they are intentionally opening it up to confusion.

Isn't that the truth !!

[PTC DAWG]

2 minutes ago, jrapps said:

I really wonder sometimes who Royal hired as a website copy editor. It's not that hard to write clear and concise language, yet Royal seems to screw it up EVERY TIME. Every policy of theirs is just so darn confusing. It's like they are intentionally opening it up to confusion.

It seems to me that they are doing everything they can to discourage unvaccinated people from boarding...for that I'm glad.  Confusion, more costs, exclusion from activities, eating below decks...Whatever works.  

Edited June 29, 2021 by PTC DAWG

[jrapps]

2 minutes ago, PTC DAWG said:

It seems to me that they are doing everything they can to discourage unvaccinated people from boarding...for that I'm glad.  Whatever works.  

But why the gap from March 19 to June 28? Just say, if you are sailing after August 1st, "all unvaccinated must have insurance". That isn't too hard.

[PTC DAWG]

6 minutes ago, jrapps said:

But why the gap from March 19 to June 28? Just say, if you are sailing after August 1st, "all unvaccinated must have insurance". That isn't too hard.

That's not nearly as confusing. Gotta keep lobbing curveballs at'em.   🙂

Edited June 29, 2021 by PTC DAWG

[jrapps]

So what they really meant to write was 

 

All passengers will be required to have Royal's Covid 19 Assistance plan if you are sailing between Aug 1 and Dec 31 2021.

 

Vaccinated passengers, and unvaccinated passengers under 12 will be provided with this Assistance plan free of charge.

 

Unvaccinated passengers over 12 will be required to purchase this plan or equivalent insurance from a 3rd party.

 

Due to (insert whatever bogus reason here), unvaccinated passengers who booked between March 19 and June 28 will receive the Assurance plan at no additional charge.

[sandebeach]

4 minutes ago, jrapps said:

So what they really meant to write was 

 

All passengers will be required to have Royal's Covid 19 Assistance plan if you are sailing between Aug 1 and Dec 31 2021.

 

Vaccinated passengers, and unvaccinated passengers under 12 will be provided with this Assistance plan free of charge.

 

Unvaccinated passengers over 12 will be required to purchase this plan or equivalent insurance from a 3rd party.

 

Due to (insert whatever bogus reason here), unvaccinated passengers who booked between March 19 and June 28 will receive the Assurance plan at no additional charge.

I like how you wrote this up. That would be very clear!

[Babr]

10 minutes ago, jrapps said:

But why the gap from March 19 to June 28? Just say, if you are sailing after August 1st, "all unvaccinated must have insurance". That isn't too hard.

Because people who booked before March 19 are subject to this ruling, not just the ones who booked today onward. They must provide their own insurance.

 

The people in the gap from March 19 until yesterday still get the Covid Assurance Assistance provided by the cruise line.

 

[Babr]

15 minutes ago, jrapps said:

So what they really meant to write was 

 

All passengers will be required to have Royal's Covid 19 Assistance plan if you are sailing between Aug 1 and Dec 31 2021.

 

Vaccinated passengers, and unvaccinated passengers under 12 will be provided with this Assistance plan free of charge.

 

Unvaccinated passengers over 12 will be required to purchase this plan or equivalent insurance from a 3rd party.

 

Due to (insert whatever bogus reason here), unvaccinated passengers who booked between March 19 and June 28 will receive the Assurance plan at no additional charge.

 

The Covid Assistance is provided at no cost. The insurance is an additional cost whether you buy it from Royal or a third party. 
 

The Covid Assistance plan is not the same thing as insurance.

[exm]

I'm on the 8/21 sailing but haven't received anything yet.

[Kalousdi]

If you booked with a travel agent, it would go to them and they would send it over to you. I got mine from my travel agent last night. 

[jrapps]

33 minutes ago, Babr said:

 

The Covid Assistance is provided at no cost. The insurance is an additional cost whether you buy it from Royal or a third party. 
 

The Covid Assistance plan is not the same thing as insurance.

I think this is half right.

 

Covid Assistance was provided at no cost if you booked from March 19 to June 28th (hence the need to call those dates out). Before March 19th, there was no such thing as "Covid Assistance" and as of today, you have to pay for it if you are unvaccinated.

 

It is not the same as insurance...but they are saying that if you don't have the Assistance plan you must buy insurance instead. Look at Coldflames post above with the screenshot. You either need the complimentary Covid Assistance (if you qualify for it) or insurance if you don't.

[glentally]

1 hour ago, jrapps said:

 

Due to (insert whatever bogus reason here), unvaccinated passengers who booked between March 19 and June 28 will receive the Assurance plan at no additional charge.

What's an assurance plan?

[Russ Lomas]

1 hour ago, jrapps said:

I really wonder sometimes who Royal hired as a website copy editor. It's not that hard to write clear and concise language, yet Royal seems to screw it up EVERY TIME. Every policy of theirs is just so darn confusing. It's like they are intentionally opening it up to confusion.

I know what you mean.  I got the RCCL flyer in my email today and it advertises sailings on the Odyssey from MIAMI!

[Russ Lomas]

37 minutes ago, Kalousdi said:

If you booked with a travel agent, it would go to them and they would send it over to you. I got mine from my travel agent last night. 

I was going to mention the same thing.  We have an awesome travel agent who is a regular on these boards and he emailed me the document posted here as the original post immediately when he received it.  If you are booked through a travel agent now and did not get it, you may want to talk to your travel agent and let them know that part of their job is to relay this information on to you since we do not get it automatically from RCCL and it goes to the TA.

[jrapps]

10 minutes ago, glentally said:

What's an assurance plan?

Sorry, I mean Covid Assistance, not Assurance

 

 

[MikeBayAreaCa]

Right now 80% in the county I live in are vaccinated.    I feel very comfortable being around adults, although I still wear a mask in most public places like the store.  I haven’t been to a movie ,because they can’t enforce their mask suggestion for the unvaccinated.

 

 

My main concern is avoiding teenagers.  
 

I applaud Royal for everything they are doing to discouraged the unvaccinated from sailing.  
 

Thankfully my next cruise is in late February so I am hopeful that we will be in a better place by then.

[MikeMSD]

52 minutes ago, Russ Lomas said:

I was going to mention the same thing.  We have an awesome travel agent who is a regular on these boards and he emailed me the document posted here as the original post immediately when he received it.  If you are booked through a travel agent now and did not get it, you may want to talk to your travel agent and let them know that part of their job is to relay this information on to you since we do not get it automatically from RCCL and it goes to the TA.

Sometimes sailing specific e-mails can go to the host agencies, which take a day or so to filter them down to the agent who then has to send them to the client. Though really a good agent who specializes in cruising, should be all over these boards and subscribed to other groups looking for news to pass on as soon as it arrives.

[Babr]

1 hour ago, jrapps said:

I think this is half right.

 

Covid Assistance was provided at no cost if you booked from March 19 to June 28th (hence the need to call those dates out). Before March 19th, there was no such thing as "Covid Assistance" and as of today, you have to pay for it if you are unvaccinated.

 

It is not the same as insurance...but they are saying that if you don't have the Assistance plan you must buy insurance instead. Look at Coldflames post above with the screenshot. You either need the complimentary Covid Assistance (if you qualify for it) or insurance if you don't.

We are saying the same thing as far as dates and to whom the exemption applies. The confusion on my part was your statement that all passengers will be required to have the Covid Assistance plan between August 1 and December 31.

 

The Covid Assistance plan is a courtesy extended to passengers who booked in a certain window. It is not available for purchase by other passengers.

 

Those who booked outside of the window will be required to purchase insurance, either the Royal Travel Protection Plan, which is the Royal-branded insurance underwritten by an insurance company and routinely offered to passengers; or they must buy travel insurance from a third-party carrier. It must provide minimum coverage as specified by Royal, and the passenger must be named in the documents.

 

The thing that stands out to me is that it must have quarantine coverage as well as medical. Not all policies do, and your primary insurance or any other you may have will not count because it likely does not have coverage for quarantine expenses. So if someone wants to shop for a policy, be sure to get one that meets the requirements.

 

It is spelled out in the original post in the section called Insurance Requirement.

[nelblu]

6 hours ago, Dat Cruisin Couple said:

 

I am speculating that behind the scenes they added some group level insurance on all new bookings after 3/19 to cover the cost. The policy probably said anything booked before wasn't covered.

What you are inferring is that there is a line in the booking process titled "insurance coverage" and it is triggered by Q&A regarding vaxxed vs non.

[Dat Cruisin Couple]

5 minutes ago, nelblu said:

What you are inferring is that there is a line in the booking process titled "insurance coverage" and it is triggered by Q&A regarding vaxxed vs non.

 

Not at all. I am saying the company in an effort to limit their liability and costs in case someone gets sick took out an insurance policy. The policy only covered booking from the point the policy became active. It did not provide coverage for bookings already recorded, like a pre-existing condition clause in health insurance.

 

Indemnification is an agreement where your insurer helps cover loss, damage or liability incurred from a covered event. Indemnity is another way of saying your insurer pays for a loss, so you don't have financial damages.

[Babr]

2 minutes ago, nelblu said:

What you are inferring is that there is a line in the booking process titled "insurance coverage" and it is triggered by Q&A regarding vaxxed vs non.

Up until yesterday Royal was offering to pay expenses for anyone who tested positive. There was probably a stop-loss policy to cover excess costs. After the initial cruises, Royal probably determined that offering this assistance may be problematic for them in Florida. So, they are still providing the assistance to people who booked in a certain window, but everyone else must purchase insurance, either the Royal Travel Protection Plan or one from a third-party supplier of travel insurance with very specific requirements.

[cruisegus]

16 hours ago, Babr said:

And it specifies Florida homeports, so I guess it applies to any ship sailing from Florida during that time period.

 Makes sense since the Florida home ports they are sailing from are the only ports that cannot require proof of vaccination from all those eligible.

[The Scurvy Pirate]

Any idea what this insurance is going to cost the unvaccinated?  It seems like a drip...drip....drip of higher expenses for them....