NCL and Canadians with Mixed Vaccines

[scoobiewife]

Just noticed that NCL has added the following statement regarding Mixed Vaccines for ships leaving from a US port:

 

A mixed vaccination protocol of only Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna combinations (mRNA vaccines) with a minimum interval of 28 days.

 

My daughter and her husband are Pfizer/Moderna vaccinated 60 days apart.  I wrote directly to the CEO, Harry Sommer, and he responded that they are good to go.

 

 

[hancogran]

Good to know.. thanks for posting.  🙂   We are also mixed Pfizer/Moderna and I'd rather not get a third shot just for the sake of cruising.  

[wetcoast]

This is the best news! I was just about to cancel my Bliss cruise in November with final payment due in a couple days

[ByThePond]

That is at last a start. Now need to recognize AZ followed by MRNA. 

[ByThePond]

1 hour ago, ByThePond said:

That is at last a start. Now need to recognize AZ followed by MRNA. 

(or Ontario allows a 3rd dose for travel purposes)

[wetcoast]

20 hours ago, scoobiewife said:

Just noticed that NCL has added the following statement regarding Mixed Vaccines for ships leaving from a US port:

 

A mixed vaccination protocol of only Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna combinations (mRNA vaccines) with a minimum interval of 28 days.

 

My daughter and her husband are Pfizer/Moderna vaccinated 60 days apart.  I wrote directly to the CEO, Harry Sommer, and he responded that they are good to go.

 

 

 

20 hours ago, scoobiewife said:

Just noticed that NCL has added the following statement regarding Mixed Vaccines for ships leaving from a US port:

 

A mixed vaccination protocol of only Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna combinations (mRNA vaccines) with a minimum interval of 28 days.

 

My daughter and her husband are Pfizer/Moderna vaccinated 60 days apart.  I wrote directly to the CEO, Harry Sommer, and he responded that they are good to go.

 

 

The thing that concerns me, is the line above which still reads:

"Mixed vaccination protocol will not be accepted (i.e. Pfizer + Moderna or AstraZeneca + Pfizer, etc)."

 

[pri6909]

Has anyone looked into NCL cruises from EU ports?  The vaccine issue seems to be OK…at this time.

 

For all other Vessels departing from a non US port:

 

• Any U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), European Medicines Agency (EMA), or World Health Organization (WHO) authorized single brand vaccination protocol 2 weeks after receipt of the final dose.
• A mixed vaccination protocol of only AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna combinations with a minimum interval of 28 days.

Note: Individuals receiving a J&J Janssen COVID-19 vaccine before or after another COVID-19 vaccine are considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19 2 weeks after receipt of the single dose of the J&J Janssen vaccine.

Vaccines received via clinical trials will not be accepted as they do not specify vaccine received.

————-

I normally book flight as soon as I can, ie the year before, but hesitant with the ongoing changes by country.  We have a cruise booked for Nov 2022 and now there may be a new issue regarding transiting passengers.  Direct flights are slim from TO to Rome.  If the transiting country is on a list, you have to self isolate in Italy for 5 days.  Hope this settles soon.

[scoobiewife]

I totally understand, so was I.  It is almost as if the added the new line and didn't edit the line above.

 

On Friday I had a chat with an NCL agent and she was the first to confirm the Pfizer/Moderna mixed vaccine as now acceptable.  I printed the chat.

 

Then I said to myself lets email the CEO, Harry Sommer, and see if he confirms as well.  He did and I have that printed as well.

[K_e_short]

2 hours ago, pri6909 said:

Has anyone looked into NCL cruises from EU ports?  The vaccine issue seems to be OK…at this time.

 

 

Yep.

Outside of the U.S, aka away from the CDC is fine with mixed doses including Astra Zeneca.

 

Of course for a while we had to quarantine when we arrived in Europe, so cruising wasn't really a possiblity anyways.

 

[xcell]

Not sure if I should start a new topic but the RCCL website is unclear of what vaccine protocols they will accept.

 

Specifically, will they allow Pfzier and Moderna even though most of us (Canadians) had it more than 42 days between doses.

[MaddyandMax]

47 minutes ago, xcell said:

Not sure if I should start a new topic but the RCCL website is unclear of what vaccine protocols they will accept.

 

Specifically, will they allow Pfzier and Moderna even though most of us (Canadians) had it more than 42 days between doses.

As of right now - NO.  I have cruise October 24 that I will probably have to cancel because of it.  Though when I booked they were accepted.

[Welly9]

had B2B with RCL, Sept 18/25th, had to cancel, I wrote RCl, a few times, with my CDC interpretation, where they state on their website, under certain criteria - mixed (mRNAs only) vaccines will be considered fully vaccinated, EVEN wrote CDC and they concurred and returned my email and stated YES we consider you fully vaccinated, sent this to RCl too, but to no avail - they have stated they do not recognize mixed mRNAs ad fully vaccinated. 

I Believe they dropped the ball here, short sighted! MANY Canadians fall under this category and had to cancel. 

It was explained to me this protocol was set at a board decision, and im sure they will re look at next one and hopefully sooner than later they re tract this and allow and recognize mixed mRNAs as fully vaccinated@!

In the mean time we are booking Carnival, and Mexico. For our fall trip.

 

They (whomever they is or are) have created this mess and a new Industry - Covid testing, its a joke! Why? We have experienced it 1st hand why its a joke. So its not a conspiracy theory, its real, its all fabricated on the most part! The $ being pulled in from this pandemic is crazy! What do 'they' say, never let a good crisis go to waste!

[hancogran]

43 minutes ago, Welly9 said:

EVEN wrote CDC and they concurred and returned my email and stated YES we consider you fully vaccinated, sent this to RCl too, but to no avail - they have stated they do not recognize mixed mRNAs ad fully vaccinated. 

I did the same thing.. emailed CDC explaining we'd had a shot of Pfizer at the end March and then Moderna at the beginning of June. I received a reply back from them telling me the same thing as what they told you..... we were considered fully vaccinated. 

 

I keep checking RCI website to see if they've added that they will accept mixed mrna vaccines, but no change as yet!  I'm happy NCL are accepting the mixed mrna shots and as loyal as we have been to Royal over the years,  I have no problem sailing on another  line who accept the mixed vaccines. Enjoy your fall cruise!

[Welly9]

23 minutes ago, hancogran said:

I did the same thing.. emailed CDC explaining we'd had a shot of Pfizer at the end March and then Moderna at the beginning of June. I received a reply back from them telling me the same thing as what they told you..... we were considered fully vaccinated. 

 

I keep checking RCI website to see if they've added that they will accept mixed mrna vaccines, but no change as yet!  I'm happy NCL are accepting the mixed mrna shots and as loyal as we have been to Royal over the years,  I have no problem sailing on another  line who accept the mixed vaccines. Enjoy your fall cruise!

I even brought cc'd RCL and CDC together, and reminded RCl lol that they follow the CDC guidelines and their statement is wrong on their website of protocols! But CDC DOES recognize mixed vaccines under certain criteria! SO frustrating!!! 

[K_e_short]

You know what I want to know?

 

I want to know what happens when Alaskan cruising opens up next year out of Vancouver and Victoria.

 

I know that Canadians aren't the main clientele for those cruises (at least that was my experience when I went in 2019) but how are Amercian owned cruise companies going to deny certain vaccine requirements from the country they are cruising out of.

 

O.k I don't actually want to know the answer. Just thinking...

[MaddyandMax]

I gotta tell you...  My family (13 of us) have 3 cruises booked 2021/22 and I am INSULTED by Royal.  All my emails to them they blamed the CDC, which we knew never made sense.  Now I am finding out they are admitting to others that this was a Board decision.

 

I believe my family has decided that we are going to take our money (and our mixed vaccines) and book elsewhere.  My parents are diamond plus but to alienate Canadians like this.  Canadians who did the right thing...  On top of the fact that all scientific evidence clearly points to the fact that we are just as protected from covid, maybe even more protected...

[Welly9]

38 minutes ago, MaddyandMax said:

I gotta tell you...  My family (13 of us) have 3 cruises booked 2021/22 and I am INSULTED by Royal.  All my emails to them they blamed the CDC, which we knew never made sense.  Now I am finding out they are admitting to others that this was a Board decision.

 

I believe my family has decided that we are going to take our money (and our mixed vaccines) and book elsewhere.  My parents are diamond plus but to alienate Canadians like this.  Canadians who did the right thing...  On top of the fact that all scientific evidence clearly points to the fact that we are just as protected from covid, maybe even more protected...

Trust me MM I hear you, I pushed, copied n pasted from CDC website, even received the CDC email stated we were recognized as fully vaccinated with mixed mRNAs because of supply issues, and basically got told 'although we appreciate your tenacity' our Board.... i truly was pissed so frustrating!

As I said before before very short sighted, at a point where business was stalled for 18 months, you think this would have been a strategic allowance - all along adhearing still to CDC recommendations - as RCL state they follow! Huge ball drop by RCL and miss!

 

So we have re booked, ripe for the taking, with Carnival their Vista ship, who accept and recognize mixed mRNAs as per CDC, and states it on the Carnival website Covid protocols!

 

We are Diamond presently, to have been D+ after the B2B that we couldnt go on, Prime in the Casino.

Carnival, doesnt cross recognize these levels or the perks that come with them, but they offered us a great deal! One that we took and cant wait! Like I said we are prime for the taking!

 

We love the RCL, Loyal to Royal, invite family, friends all the time...but again a HUGE MISS.

 

Next - dodnt even get me going on our idiot PM and the Lieberals! lol

 

 

 

 

[nbsjcruiser]

1 hour ago, MaddyandMax said:

I gotta tell you...  My family (13 of us) have 3 cruises booked 2021/22 and I am INSULTED by Royal.  All my emails to them they blamed the CDC, which we knew never made sense.  Now I am finding out they are admitting to others that this was a Board decision.

 

I believe my family has decided that we are going to take our money (and our mixed vaccines) and book elsewhere.  My parents are diamond plus but to alienate Canadians like this.  Canadians who did the right thing...  On top of the fact that all scientific evidence clearly points to the fact that we are just as protected from covid, maybe even more protected...

We're in the same boat. Mixed vaccines and Diamond on RCI. Got the same run-around from RCI and Princess too btw. Its my theory that the lawyers got involved and now have the cruise lines all running sacred to be sued so they're putting in rules that are not science based but legally based. In the end the legal profession always makes money no matter what happens in the world.

 

Anyway, we cancelled 2 Princess cruises and one RCI cruise and instead will be taking 5 weeks this fall in Florida in a quiet condo complex that we've rented in the past. It will cost about the same as  4 day cruise - 5 weeks for the price of a 4 day cruise - think about that. We'll stay away from crowds, restaurants, bars, clubs, stores etc. We'll spend our mornings enjoying a coffee on the balcony and the afternoons on a beach where there will be nobody within 100 yards of us. Quiet, safe long break from the crappy fall in Canada. All this nonsense with cruise lines and testing forced us to look elsewhere. Right now, we're in no rush to go back on a cruise. If they can chase us away (29 cruises so far) who else will they chase away?

 

Take your hard earned vacation dollars and enjoy life elsewhere. Someday cruising may go back to something resembling normal. When it does we'll think about cruising again......maybe.

Edited September 8, 2021 by nbsjcruiser

[MaddyandMax]

8 minutes ago, nbsjcruiser said:

We're in the same boat. Mixed vaccines and Diamond on RCI. Got the same run-around from RCI and Princess too btw. Its my theory that the lawyers got involved and now have the cruise lines all running sacred to be sued so they're putting in rules that are not science based but legally based. In the end the legal profession always makes money no matter what happens in the world.

 

Anyway, we cancelled 2 Princess cruises and one RCI cruise and instead will be taking 5 weeks this fall in Florida in a quiet condo complex that we've rented in the past. It will cost about the same as  4 day cruise - 5 weeks for the price of a 4 day cruise - think about that. We'll stay away from crowds, restaurants, bars, clubs, stores etc. We'll spend our mornings enjoying a coffee on the balcony and the afternoons on a beach where there will be nobody within 100 yards of us. Quiet, safe long break from the crappy fall in Canada. All this nonsense with cruise lines and testing forced us to look elsewhere. Right now, we're in no rush to go back on a cruise. If they can chase us away (29 cruises so far) who else will they chase away?

 

Take your hard earned vacation dollars and enjoy life elsewhere. Someday cruising may go back to something resembling normal. When it does we'll think about cruising again......maybe.

 

I actually work in law and I'll have to disagree.  With the CDC confirming that they consider us fully vaccinated there really would be no claim for anyone to sue.  Not that I think there would be any merit for any type of lawsuit anyways.  No passenger could ever prove beyond reasonable doubt that they got covid from a specific person on a cruise boat...  Plus the fact that it would have to have been knowingly transmitted.  But I digress.

 

We don't like to fly - with a big family its just too expensive.  So that puts a hamper on where we can go on vacation.  It's the reason we like to cruise.

 

Was just on the NCL website and we may jump ship over there.  They are more expensive but offer a lot of free perks like drink packages...

[nbsjcruiser]

7 minutes ago, MaddyandMax said:

 

I actually work in law and I'll have to disagree.  With the CDC confirming that they consider us fully vaccinated there really would be no claim for anyone to sue.  Not that I think there would be any merit for any type of lawsuit anyways.  No passenger could ever prove beyond reasonable doubt that they got covid from a specific person on a cruise boat...  Plus the fact that it would have to have been knowingly transmitted.  But I digress.

 

We don't like to fly - with a big family its just too expensive.  So that puts a hamper on where we can go on vacation.  It's the reason we like to cruise.

 

Was just on the NCL website and we may jump ship over there.  They are more expensive but offer a lot of free perks like drink packages...

I dont think NCL accepts mixed doses (AZ+mRNA) so if that's your issue, NCL won't be any better. 

[Fouremco]

17 hours ago, K_e_short said:

You know what I want to know?

 

I want to know what happens when Alaskan cruising opens up next year out of Vancouver and Victoria.

 

I know that Canadians aren't the main clientele for those cruises (at least that was my experience when I went in 2019) but how are Amercian owned cruise companies going to deny certain vaccine requirements from the country they are cruising out of.

 

O.k I don't actually want to know the answer. Just thinking...

The lines generally have vaccination policies based on the port of embarkation. So vaccination restrictions for US sailings are different than those starting in European ports. I see no reason why this approach wouldn't be taken for cruises embarking in Canada, but of course, there are no guarantees.

[Tugboatbob]

6 hours ago, MaddyandMax said:

 

I actually work in law and I'll have to disagree.  With the CDC confirming that they consider us fully vaccinated there really would be no claim for anyone to sue.  Not that I think there would be any merit for any type of lawsuit anyways.  No passenger could ever prove beyond reasonable doubt that they got covid from a specific person on a cruise boat...  Plus the fact that it would have to have been knowingly transmitted.  But I digress.

 

We don't like to fly - with a big family its just too expensive.  So that puts a hamper on where we can go on vacation.  It's the reason we like to cruise.

 

Was just on the NCL website and we may jump ship over there.  They are more expensive but offer a lot of free perks like drink packages...

I just checked the CDC website and it still indicates mixed vaccines are not approved. This whole situation is very confusing and screams for a resolution. I have a Celebrity cruise booked for February and they do not accept mixed vaccines. My balance is due next month and I hope I do not have to cancel.

[broberts]

2 hours ago, Tugboatbob said:

I just checked the CDC website and it still indicates mixed vaccines are not approved. This whole situation is very confusing and screams for a resolution. I have a Celebrity cruise booked for February and they do not accept mixed vaccines. My balance is due next month and I hope I do not have to cancel.

 

The CDC considers mixed mRNA vaccination acceptable. I believe it only rejects AZ / mRNA mixes.

[bcwife76]

9 hours ago, nbsjcruiser said:

I dont think NCL accepts mixed doses (AZ+mRNA) so if that's your issue, NCL won't be any better. 

NCL accepts mixed (AZ +mRNA) when sailing out of European ports but just like every other cruise line, they do not accept them for a US port of embarkation. 

[LeDemonBlond]

What bugs me is that there is lots of data to support mixing of astrazeneca with mrna ones. It is highly effective. However, regulatory bodies that exist in Canada, US, Europe, Asia and everywhere in between  seem to share some data and reject other data. It seems the sharing of data among usually very informed and caring health professionals in all these countries should be better than it is.  I have the astrazeneca vaccine but its the one made in India vs the UK or USA, is that going to be ultimately rejected because its from India? Does it not matter that Health Canada ( and many other countries) accepted that the vaccine was made to spec.  A not so insignificant chunk of the world is getting the covid vaccine from China. Will that be rejected because it does not work or the fact its from China?   

 

I don't want to get a 3rd shot just for travel because the country I want to go to does not accept mixed doses. I will if I have to. 

 

They always say trust the science, then they should do that. Look at how effective these vaccines are in the countries they serve and accept them as legit and allow those people who have them into your country.