Passengers who have used Mixed Vaccination Protocols will not be considered to be Fully Vaccinated per RCI FAQs

[A&L_Ont]

3 hours ago, MaddyandMax said:

We may be booked on the same cruise - March 13 on Oasis (I'm near you in Hamilton so I think we have the same March break). 

Hey, we are on this cruise too.
 

We did book an AI for Mexico as well for the same week, as a just in case back up. Flights are fully refundable and we can cancel the resort with no fees 5 days prior.  If it is less than that 5 days we lose a 1 night payment. 

[LuCruise]

1 hour ago, A&L_Ont said:

Hey, we are on this cruise too.
 

We did book an AI for Mexico as well for the same week, as a just in case back up. Flights are fully refundable and we can cancel the resort with no fees 5 days prior.  If it is less than that 5 days we lose a 1 night payment. 

This is exactly what we have done for December...hoping at least if the cruise doesn't work, the Mexico resort will (but waiting on flights)

[MaddyandMax]

1 hour ago, A&L_Ont said:

Hey, we are on this cruise too.
 

We did book an AI for Mexico as well for the same week, as a just in case back up. Flights are fully refundable and we can cancel the resort with no fees 5 days prior.  If it is less than that 5 days we lose a 1 night payment. 

That’s an idea. I’ve just kinda of assumed if Royal won’t accept my mixed mRNA vaccines no one else will but maybe that’s not the case.

 

This cruise was supposed to be my 11 year late honeymoon but it’s recently become a family cruise bc we don’t think we’ll be going in October. So it’s been a bit of a bummer all around.  I will not cruise “unvaccinated”. So until this is all sorted out we’ll cancel them. I think my family is over moving them. Not when other places will accept us as vaccinated.
 

It’s been 3 years since I had a vacation! 😂

[Toddcan]

19 hours ago, MaddyandMax said:

We may be booked on the same cruise - March 13 on Oasis (I'm near you in Hamilton so I think we have the same March break).  We are pfizer/moderna.  I'm much more hopeful for this cruise but have lost hope for my October 24 cruise.  Though I will say I'm only 60% on our March cruise...  Fingers crossed!

 

But of course we can't cancel without losing anything until their protocols are released 30 days before.  So we are stuck in limbo.

I haven't booked it yet!  our cancelled cruise was March 13 Radiance of the Seas.   But, that is the one I am looking at.  TBH... I'm still not convinced I will like the Oasis class (never been on anything larger than Freedom class).  

Edited August 10, 2021 by Toddcan
corrected the ship name

[MaddyandMax]

1 hour ago, Toddcan said:

I haven't booked it yet!  our cancelled cruise was March 13 Radiance of the Seas.   But, that is the one I am looking at.  TBH... I'm still not convinced I will like the Oasis class (never been on anything larger than Freedom class).  

 

Freedom class is the biggest we've been on too.  Unless rules change and we actually cruise in October (on the Oasis).

[ladysail2]

3 hours ago, MaddyandMax said:

 

Freedom class is the biggest we've been on too.  Unless rules change and we actually cruise in October (on the Oasis).

I felt the same way you did, and when I finally sailed on Oasis, I loved it. Please stroll through the deck with all the plants..it’s like a wonderful walk in a park.  I didn’t find any part of the ship to be crowded at all at any time.  I even went on a short ride on the carousel.  The ship really has alot of nice features.  Enjoy your cruises.

[MaddyandMax]

1 minute ago, ladysail2 said:

I felt the same way you did, and when I finally sailed on Oasis, I loved it. Please stroll through the deck with all the plants..it’s like a wonderful walk in a park.  I didn’t find any part of the ship to be crowded at all at any time.  I even went on a short ride on the carousel.  The ship really has alot of nice features.  Enjoy your cruises.

 

If my mixed-vaccinated hinny actually makes it on the boat I definitely will! That's the part I'm looking forward to the most.  We actually have window rooms booked overlooking the inside garden...

 

Did online check in this morning.  Not sure why we wasted the time to do it but you never know what can happen in 74 days...  Trying to put positive vibes out in the universe today! LOL

[ladysail2]

36 minutes ago, MaddyandMax said:

 

If my mixed-vaccinated hinny actually makes it on the boat I definitely will! 

 

 Trying to put positive vibes out in the universe today! LOL

I wish you good luck on getting on the ship….and the Universe needs all the positive vibes it can get!  I’ll put out some too!

[ladysail2]

Found my vacation spot! It’s not a cruise unfortunately….but the small island country of Trinidad and Tobago accepts the AZ-Pfizer vaccine mix.  It’s the only vaccine mix they accept.  It’s a start..😁

[Cap'nFlapjack]

Here is my email to  Mr. Bayley at RCCL,

The CDC specifically states that if after 6 weeks (42 days) you cannot get the same mRna

vaccine, that it is ok to use the other brand. For RCCL to say that mixed vaccines should be administered within 42 days goes directly against CDC recommendations . Why RCCL is maintaining this arbitrary day restriction is beyond my comprehension.

 

Dear Sir,

My wife and I are booked on 3 cruises in 2022 with RCCL and will not cruise as unvaccinated passengers. We are vaccinated with Pfizer and Moderna mix. Barbados says thats ok...Canada says it's

ok.....the CDC says its ok...

Why does RCCL persist in maintaining a 42 day requirement for mixed mRNA vaccines

when CDC does not?   https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/clinical-considerations/covid-19-vaccines-us.html

Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines | CDC Updated considerations regarding mRNA vaccine dosing intervals; Updated considerations for immunocompromised people. Key points. COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for everyone 12 years and older for the prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the United States. www.cdc.gov

Clipped from CDC

Interval between mRNA doses

The second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines should be administered as close to the recommended interval as possible, but not earlier than recommended (i.e., 3 weeks [Pfizer-BioNTech] or 1 month [Moderna]). However, individuals who receive the second dose up to 4 days before or at any time after the recommended date can be considered fully vaccinated.

Using the above strategies, every effort should be made to determine which vaccine product was received as the first dose to ensure completion of the vaccine series with the same product. In exceptional situations in which the mRNA vaccine product given for the first dose cannot be determined or is no longer available, any available mRNA COVID-19 vaccine may be administered at a minimum interval of 28 days between doses to complete the mRNA COVID-19 vaccination series. In situations where the same mRNA vaccine product is temporarily unavailable, it is preferable to delay the second dose (up to 6 weeks) to receive the same product than to receive a mixed series using a different product. If two doses of different mRNA COVID-19 vaccine products are administered in these situations (or inadvertently), no additional doses of either product are recommended at this time. Such persons are considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19 ≥2 weeks after receipt of the second dose of an mRNA vaccine.

 

Please update your policy to reflect the science that you yourself said you were following.

Look forward to your response to thousands of us Canadian cruisers.

 

Thank you,

[ladysail2]

Please let is know if you receive a response.  Thanks.

[Welly9]

I found this and in my attempt to confirm CDC and what they consider full vaccinated, I believe mRNA mixed candidates, where our 2nd dose of same wasnt available and were administered a different mRNA vax, IE M and then P, are considered Fully Vaccinated!

Am I reading this right and then in such cases, Mixed mRNAs administered in proper time intervals are good to cruise? 

 

Using the above strategies, every effort should be made to determine which vaccine product was received as the first dose to ensure completion of the vaccine series with the same product. In exceptional situations in which the mRNA vaccine product given for the first dose cannot be determined or is no longer available, any available mRNA COVID-19 vaccine may be administered at a minimum interval of 28 days between doses to complete the mRNA COVID-19 vaccination series. In situations where the same mRNA vaccine product is temporarily unavailable, it is preferable to delay the second dose (up to 6 weeks) to receive the same product than to receive a mixed series using a different product. If two doses of different mRNA COVID-19 vaccine products are administered in these situations (or inadvertently), no additional doses of either product are recommended at this time. Such persons are considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19 ≥2 weeks after receipt of the second dose of an mRNA vaccine.

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/clinical-considerations/covid-19-vaccines-us.html

[Cap'nFlapjack]

2 hours ago, ladysail2 said:

Please let is know if you receive a response.  Thanks.

 

Fairly generic response ...they have an expert team that apparently doesn't read with comprehension.

Nothing said about 42 day rule...

 

Hello Brett,

Thank you for your patience. It’s my pleasure to assist you on behalf of our Executives.
 
We know everyone is just as excited as we are for our return to service and we appreciate your candid feedback as we embark on this new journey.

We have been working with an expert team to guide us in developing protocols to protect our guests and crew. We are working with local health authorities in our homeport countries to make sure all of our guests adhere to the current inbound travel requirements.

The protocols for your upcoming cruises have not been confirmed yet.  As this is a fluid process, we are continuously evaluating these protocols and will provide updates as they are confirmed. For more details and updates regarding our current requirements, you may visit https://www.royalcaribbean.com/the-healthy-sail-center

 

Our highest priority is always the health and safety of everything we do for our guests and crew.

Brett, thank you again for having contacted the Executive Office of Royal Caribbean International. We wish you continued health and safety.

Sincerely,


Tiffany Gomez
Royal Guest Experience Management
Executive Team

[mabt]

2 hours ago, Welly9 said:

I found this and in my attempt to confirm CDC and what they consider full vaccinated, I believe mRNA mixed candidates, where our 2nd dose of same wasnt available and were administered a different mRNA vax, IE M and then P, are considered Fully Vaccinated!

Am I reading this right and then in such cases, Mixed mRNAs administered in proper time intervals are good to cruise? 

 

Currently, on RCCL, mixed mRNA doses are accepted for non-US departures, only if administered within the 4-6 week interval.  They will not be accepted for US departures, regardless of interval.

 

As you noticed, the document that RCCL says the CDC used as "justification" for why mixed doses should not be accepted, in fact specifically says the opposite: that mixed doses are acceptable under the exact circumstances that led most Canadians to receive them.  It is completely contradictory.

 

People have pointed this out to RCCL, but there's not much more that can be done besides waiting for it to settle out.

 

ETA: See RCCL's "explanation" here: https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/what-vaccines-are-accepted

Edited August 16, 2021 by mabt

[Welly9]

I should have added, if you go to the top of that page from CDC, it was updated as of August 13th, 

 

 

[mabt]

1 hour ago, Welly9 said:

I should have added, if you go to the top of that page from CDC, it was updated as of August 13th, 

 

 

But the relevant section on mixed doses has not changed.  The CDC considered mixed mRNA doses acceptable in exceptional circumstances well before they decided, arbitrarily, that mixed mRNA doses are not acceptable on cruise ships.

 

It is beyond frustrating, but good luck getting the CDC to change their minds.  The cruise ship policy will eventually be amended, but when that happens is anyone's guess.

[CruiserRob]

Oddly enough, the Carnival brands which are presumably reading the same CDC guidance as the others, accept mixed mRNA vaccines.

Princess cruises FAQ

Guests who have received two doses of a vector vaccine or two single doses of mixed mRNA vaccines will be considered fully vaccinated and will be permitted to sail, so long as the final dose is received at least 14 days prior to the beginning of the cruise.

[mabt]

5 minutes ago, CruiserRob said:

Oddly enough, the Carnival brands which are presumably reading the same CDC guidance as the others, accept mixed mRNA vaccines.

Princess cruises FAQ

Guests who have received two doses of a vector vaccine or two single doses of mixed mRNA vaccines will be considered fully vaccinated and will be permitted to sail, so long as the final dose is received at least 14 days prior to the beginning of the cruise.

 

Good to know!  Royal likes to point to the CDC, and their official line is "other cruise lines are facing the same restrictions", but different lines have had different policies all along.  At points, RCCL's policies have even differed from Celebrity's.

 

I had to jump through hoops (not totally above board, I'm afraid) to get a third mRNA shot in order to sail out of Nassau at the end of August, even though the Bahamas specifically allows mixed doses, and the only other port stop is in Mexico, where there are no entrance requirements at all.  So in my case, it was completely within RCCL's control.  But after a lot of back and forth with the executive office, they insisted that my original two doses administered at 44 days were not good enough.  Their made-up policy says they have to be administered between 28 and 42 days.  Clearly, the extra two days made me a danger to myself and others, therefore no exception could be made.

 

Completely stupid, but it is what it is.  On the upside, having had three mRNA doses inside 12 weeks, plus a likely infection in March 2020, I figure I'm as close as it gets to COVID-proof at this point.  😄

[Welly9]

I will follow up with RCL, and send or explain the updated status on the CDC website Re Mixed Vax's are considered fully vaccinated! 

 

And... How long has Carnival accepted the mixed Vax scenario? Recently or from onset? 

[CruiserRob]

16 minutes ago, Welly9 said:

And... How long has Carnival accepted the mixed Vax scenario? Recently or from onset? 

I'm note sure as I only started checking other lines when Royal/Celebrity stopped accepting them.

[MaddyandMax]

16 minutes ago, Welly9 said:

I will follow up with RCL, and send or explain the updated status on the CDC website Re Mixed Vax's are considered fully vaccinated! 

 

And... How long has Carnival accepted the mixed Vax scenario? Recently or from onset? 

 

Royal knows.  That blurb on the CDC website has been there for months...

[Welly9]

17 minutes ago, MaddyandMax said:

 

Royal knows.  That blurb on the CDC website has been there for months...

But CDC updated part of it on the 13th, last Friday, including Mixed Vax"s with criteria to get them, and states you are Fully Vaccinated under the strategies they list - which in Canada's case many fall under these categories! ! 

[Welly9]

BUT no update on RCL side even though they follow the CDC recommendations..I will follow up with them.

HUGE miss if they continue to take this stance - HUGE miss by our Liberal Gov't if they dont push to allow outside of CAN and start to communicate with these outside authorities and HUGE miss by RCL not to allow.

[MaddyandMax]

1 minute ago, Welly9 said:

But CDC updated part of it on the 13th, last Friday, including Mixed Vax"s with criteria to get them, and states you are Fully Vaccinated under the strategies they list - which in Canada's case many fall under these categories! !

 

If you look back on this thread, or on the Canadian Cruisers forum you'll see even before August 13 the CDC said that in extreme circumstances if you need to mix vaccines it's fine and you are considered fully vaccinated.  Unfortunately their rules don't seem to extend to Canadians who had to mix under extreme circumstances....

 

And I feel you - I'm mRNA mixed with an October cruise booked...

[MaddyandMax]

1 minute ago, Welly9 said:

BUT no update on RCL side even though they follow the CDC recommendations..I will follow up with them.

HUGE miss if they continue to take this stance - HUGE miss by our Liberal Gov't if they dont push to allow outside of CAN and start to communicate with these outside authorities and HUGE miss by RCL not to allow.

Michael Bailey posted an update on his F*book 11 hours ago..  They said they are working on it and basically trying to get the CDC to reconsider.  At least, that's what I took from it.