Summit Cruises Canceled

[lv2cruisgrl]

Just go this email

ABOUT YOUR UPCOMING TRAVELS

Dear Guest,   We are reaching out to provide an update on the status of your 2021 cruise vacation. Celebrity Cruises has been working closely with health and government authorities, in each country we sail from, to outline a clear path for cruising with new health and safety measures. As we continue our return to service with sailings arriving and departing from the United States, we are also ensuring alignment with guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC has currently advised any ship returning to the US after having traveled in international waters may not sail with guests onboard for at least 14 days. Due to this necessary requirement we will be cancelling the Celebrity Summit® sailings of August 28, 2021, September 2, 2021, September 6, 2021 and September 11, 2021.   At this time, we would like to offer you the choice of being re-accommodated on another Caribbean cruise or a 100% Refund. From now through August 17, you have the option of rescheduling your cruise vacation to any Caribbean sailing aboard Celebrity Summit departing between September 16, 2021 and October 30,2021. Just contact us or your travel partner for details and your reservation will be shifted at the same daily rate including any promotion you currently have on the booking. Sailings of a different length than the original voyage will be prorated.   Please note, all Celebrity Cruises ships will sail with a vaccinated crew and at least 95% of guests fully vaccinated. Guests 12 years and older must be fully vaccinated with all COVID-19 vaccine doses administered at least 14 days prior to sailing. For details on our current health and safety protocols please visit  www.healthyatsea.com.   If you are unable to rebook by August 17, you will automatically receive a 100% refund to your original method of payment. Cruise taxes and fees will be refunded separately within 30 days of cancellation. No action is required on your part to receive this refund.   If you have pre-booked any shore excursions, beverage, internet, specialty dining or other onboard packages, through Celebrity Cruise Planner, you will be refunded in full to your original method of payment. Guests with independent arrangements should contact their tour operators as soon as possible. Guests with air travel and hotel booked through Flights by Celebrity will be refunded automatically. You will not need to call in to initiate the process. Guests with independent air arrangements need to contact their air carriers directly to make all required cancellations.   First and always, please take care of yourselves and your family. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through these unique circumstances. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Celebrity Cruises at 1-844-418-6824 in North America or (316) 554-5961 worldwide. We look forward to welcoming you aboard soon for an amazing Celebrity Cruises vacation.     Sincerely, Celebrity Cruises

[JamieLogical]

Oh no! I am so sorry. Do any of the offered alternatives work for you?

[Sheltielover73]

oh man. 

[Host Anne]

I just got the same email, too.  This makes absolutely NO sense since EVERYONE on this ship will have been vaccinated!  You can't even say that for Edge or Equinox since only 95% have to be vaccinated.  The statement from the CDC about traveling in international waters contradicts everything since Edge and Equinox (and multiple other cruise lines) are sailing in international waters and returning to the US with passengers!

 

It's time to start writing.  This is unfair to Celebrity and all the guests traveling!

[lv2cruisgrl]

3 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

Oh no! I am so sorry. Do any of the offered alternatives work for you?

Just going to get a refund as we already have other cruises booked.

[lv2cruisgrl]

Just now, Host Anne said:

I just got the same email, too.  This makes absolutely NO sense since EVERYONE on this ship will have been vaccinated!  You can't even say that for Edge or Equinox since only 95% have to be vaccinated.  The statement from the CDC about traveling in international waters contradicts everything since Edge and Equinox (and multiple other cruise lines) are sailing in international waters and returning to the US with passengers!

 

It's time to start writing.  This is unfair to Celebrity and all the guests traveling!

Crazy times!

[marieps]

The wording of the letter is probably off.  I suspect CDC means ships sailing in international waters after basing voyages in a foreign port.  So what does that mean for the Silhouette and Apex first sailings after their TAs?  Hopefully nothing if CDC lets the CSO expire in November.

Edited August 10, 2021 by marieps

[TeeRick]

3 minutes ago, Host Anne said:

I just got the same email, too.  This makes absolutely NO sense since EVERYONE on this ship will have been vaccinated!  You can't even say that for Edge or Equinox since only 95% have to be vaccinated.  The statement from the CDC about traveling in international waters contradicts everything since Edge and Equinox (and multiple other cruise lines) are sailing in international waters and returning to the US with passengers!

 

It's time to start writing.  This is unfair to Celebrity and all the guests traveling!

Agree!  Where/when did the CDC come up with this?  It has not been applied to date on EDGE sailings.  I wonder if it will apply to Alaska sailings since they go to US ports only but travel through international waters (Canada).

[Sheltielover73]

Id be concerned then if booked on Silhouette on Nov 12 or Nov 22nd sailings. As it returns to Ft Lauderdale on Nov 12 from its transatlantic.

uhhh!!

[Jeremiah1212]

4 minutes ago, Host Anne said:

I just got the same email, too.  This makes absolutely NO sense since EVERYONE on this ship will have been vaccinated!  You can't even say that for Edge or Equinox since only 95% have to be vaccinated.  The statement from the CDC about traveling in international waters contradicts everything since Edge and Equinox (and multiple other cruise lines) are sailing in international waters and returning to the US with passengers!

 

It's time to start writing.  This is unfair to Celebrity and all the guests traveling!

 

The clause in the CSO reads:

 

*Note: For cruise ship operators with ships that have not been in U.S. waters during the period of the No Sail Order (NSO) or CSO, or voluntarily withdrew their ships, the 60-day period will begin upon: (1) CDC’s confirming to the cruise ship operator in writing that the operator has a complete and accurate NSO response plan, including having submitted to CDC a signed Acknowledgment of No Sail Order Response Plan Completeness and Accuracy; and (2) submission of the EDC form for the 14 days preceding the cruise ship’s expected arrival in U.S. waters.

 

The 14 day window is a legitimate rule but it is odd since Summit already has a Green status and shows approved for Restricted sailings on the CDC site. 

[lv2cruisgrl]

4 minutes ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

 

The clause in the CSO reads:

 

*Note: For cruise ship operators with ships that have not been in U.S. waters during the period of the No Sail Order (NSO) or CSO, or voluntarily withdrew their ships, the 60-day period will begin upon: (1) CDC’s confirming to the cruise ship operator in writing that the operator has a complete and accurate NSO response plan, including having submitted to CDC a signed Acknowledgment of No Sail Order Response Plan Completeness and Accuracy; and (2) submission of the EDC form for the 14 days preceding the cruise ship’s expected arrival in U.S. waters.

 

The 14 day window is a legitimate rule but it is odd since Summit already has a Green status and shows approved for Restricted sailings on the CDC site. 

Makes us wonder what the real reasons are !?! 

[canderson]

Summit has been doing the "nuts to trying to deal with U.S. ports" St. Maarten / St. Maarten sailings vs. anything touching a U.S. port.  It appears that's what has triggered this.  Sad.

[TeeRick]

8 minutes ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

 

The clause in the CSO reads:

 

*Note: For cruise ship operators with ships that have not been in U.S. waters during the period of the No Sail Order (NSO) or CSO, or voluntarily withdrew their ships, the 60-day period will begin upon: (1) CDC’s confirming to the cruise ship operator in writing that the operator has a complete and accurate NSO response plan, including having submitted to CDC a signed Acknowledgment of No Sail Order Response Plan Completeness and Accuracy; and (2) submission of the EDC form for the 14 days preceding the cruise ship’s expected arrival in U.S. waters.

 

The 14 day window is a legitimate rule but it is odd since Summit already has a Green status and shows approved for Restricted sailings on the CDC site. 

This is what Celebrity's letter to the OP in post #1 said:

 

"The CDC has currently advised any ship returning to the US after having traveled in international waters may not sail with guests onboard for at least 14 days."

 

 Not quite the same as any ship returning from international waters to the US for the first time since the CSO was put in place.   So now more understandable.  Thank you @Jeremiah1212.    First FL cruises for Summit after homeporting in St.  Maarten.

Edited August 10, 2021 by TeeRick

[cangelmd]

9 minutes ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

 

The clause in the CSO reads:

 

*Note: For cruise ship operators with ships that have not been in U.S. waters during the period of the No Sail Order (NSO) or CSO, or voluntarily withdrew their ships, the 60-day period will begin upon: (1) CDC’s confirming to the cruise ship operator in writing that the operator has a complete and accurate NSO response plan, including having submitted to CDC a signed Acknowledgment of No Sail Order Response Plan Completeness and Accuracy; and (2) submission of the EDC form for the 14 days preceding the cruise ship’s expected arrival in U.S. waters.

 

The 14 day window is a legitimate rule but it is odd since Summit already has a Green status and shows approved for Restricted sailings on the CDC site. 

Yeah it is odd, because a quarantine is a quarantine. I’m not sure what Summit is doing, but crew on our recent Equinox sailing said they had no shore leave for at least 2 months, so they were only exposed to guests and each other. If the ship is collecting and submitting their EDC data, then they should have the rest of the paperwork because they were supposed to be in Alaska? Maybe they overlooked the 60 days because they were going to be in Alaska?

Our TA just got off this weekend, he said the ship was practically empty.

Edited August 10, 2021 by cangelmd

[AbbyCruiser45]

12 minutes ago, marieps said:

The wording of the letter is probably off.  I suspect CDC means ships sailing in international waters after basing voyages in a foreign port.  So what does that mean for the Silhouette and Apex first sailings after their TAs?  Hopefully nothing if CDC lets the CSO expire in November.

I can see the Apex transatlantic being canceled, it's exactly the right length for this buffer period. My parents are on the second to last Greece sailing and I'm hoping they'll be in the clear since there is one 7-night and then the 14-day transatlantic following theirs. 

[AbbyCruiser45]

6 minutes ago, lovrccl said:

Makes us wonder what the real reasons are !?! 

It just feels like a blanket rule covering every cruise line instead of dealing with exceptions. Celebrity, at least from what I can tell, has been applying the rules of the conditional sail order fleet-wide even for non-US based sailings. This is not true for other cruise lines, so it does make sense that CDC wants that ship to "reset" before going out of the US under the CSO. 

[Jeremiah1212]

8 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

This is what Celebrity's letter to the OP in post #1 said:

 

"The CDC has currently advised any ship returning to the US after having traveled in international waters may not sail with guests onboard for at least 14 days."

 

 Not quite the same as any ship returning from international waters to the US for the first time since the CSO was put in place.   So now more understandable.  Thank you @Jeremiah1212.    First FL cruises for Summit after homeporting in St.  Maarten.

 

It's still confusing. Unless there is other documentation the public doesn't have access to, nothing says the 14 days can't run concurrently with operations outside of the US. And clearly they have submitted documents correctly (or the CDC site is wrong - highly unlikely IMO) since the ship shows Green status and approved for Restricted sailings. I won't typically accuse the company of not quite telling the truth without fully understanding the process but these sailings did have extremely low bookings....

Edited August 10, 2021 by Jeremiah1212

[bama4cruisin]

15 minutes ago, marieps said:

The wording of the letter is probably off.  I suspect CDC means ships sailing in international waters after basing voyages in a foreign port.  So what does that mean for the Silhouette and Apex first sailings after their TAs?  Hopefully nothing if CDC lets the CSO expire in November.

However with the date change of the Apex TA, she now arrives on October 24.

[TeeRick]

2 minutes ago, AbbyCruiser45 said:

I can see the Apex transatlantic being canceled, it's exactly the right length for this buffer period. My parents are on the second to last Greece sailing and I'm hoping they'll be in the clear since there is one 7-night and then the 14-day transatlantic following theirs. 

The Apex will have to wait a minimum of 14 days and get the required paperwork approved after it reaches the USA from Greece.  That is probably a given.  Unless the CSO expires.

[marieps]

3 minutes ago, AbbyCruiser45 said:

I can see the Apex transatlantic being canceled, it's exactly the right length for this buffer period. My parents are on the second to last Greece sailing and I'm hoping they'll be in the clear since there is one 7-night and then the 14-day transatlantic following theirs. 

So you're saying that the 14 day clock would be running as Apex sails back w/o passengers?  I'm not sure CDC would consider that compliant.  But then, only the CDC knows what will satisfy the CDC.

[marieps]

3 minutes ago, bama4cruisin said:

However with the date change of the Apex TA, she now arrives on October 24.

Yes I just saw that.  I'm on Sillie's TA.  I fear for the passengers on the early Apex Caribbean schedule.

[wrk2cruise]

How can this be a CSO issue?   The CSO is only a recommendation in FL per federal court ruling.  I'm with @Jeremiah1212 on this one.

[TeeRick]

1 minute ago, wrk2cruise said:

How can this be a CSO issue?   The CSO is only a recommendation in FL per federal court ruling.  I'm with @Jeremiah1212 on this one.

If Celebrity follows the CSO regardless of the FL case.

[Arzeena]

38 minutes ago, Host Anne said:

I just got the same email, too.  This makes absolutely NO sense since EVERYONE on this ship will have been vaccinated!  You can't even say that for Edge or Equinox since only 95% have to be vaccinated.  The statement from the CDC about traveling in international waters contradicts everything since Edge and Equinox (and multiple other cruise lines) are sailing in international waters and returning to the US with passengers!

 

It's time to start writing.  This is unfair to Celebrity and all the guests traveling!

So the Future Cruise guy on the Edge was correct after all, when we tried to book Aug 28 and he said it was not happening.

 

Edited August 10, 2021 by Arzeena

[AbbyCruiser45]

10 minutes ago, marieps said:

So you're saying that the 14 day clock would be running as Apex sails back w/o passengers?  I'm not sure CDC would consider that compliant.  But then, only the CDC knows what will satisfy the CDC.

That was my original interpretation but @TeeRick clarified that the clock starts running once in the US, which is unfortunate because an empty ship is an empty ship.