COVID-19 Vaccine requirements?

[ChiefMateJRK]

4 hours ago, Heymarco said:

Children under 12 are banned from NCL by definition, regardless of justification. Even then, justification is weak as other cruise lines and the rest of the world have chosen better ways to accommodate children, but that’s another discussion.

It sounds like somebody needs to back away from NCL and support more "friendly" businesses (you know, the ones that make people wear masks on vacation and dance in an assigned small circle of light...)

[steveknj]

4 hours ago, Heymarco said:

 

Children under 12 are banned from NCL by definition, regardless of justification. Even then, justification is weak as other cruise lines and the rest of the world have chosen better ways to accommodate children, but that’s another discussion.

 

 

 

No, they banned unvaccinated people.   Children are a subset of those.    They didn't single out children specifically.  As a private business, that's their right.   There have been outbreaks on other cruise lines that allow unvaccinated passengers.  Not one on NCL that I know of.  Again, that's your choice.  You don't like NCL's policy of banning the unvaccinated, as  you said there are other choices.  Feel free to sail with them.  It''s like saying that trucks are banned from going on a certain road, and then saying they banned RED trucks.  Sure, they are included, but it's not just RED trucks, it's all trucks.  In this case, it's not just children, but it's all unvaccinated people, of which children belong.

[aubreyc1988]

Just now, steveknj said:

 

No, they banned unvaccinated people.   Children are a subset of those.    They didn't single out children specifically.  As a private business, that's their right.   There have been outbreaks on other cruise lines that allow unvaccinated passengers.  Not one on NCL that I know of.  Again, that's your choice.  You don't like NCL's policy of banning the unvaccinated, as  you said there are other choices.  Feel free to sail with them.  It''s like saying that trucks are banned from going on a certain road, and then saying they banned RED trucks.  Sure, they are included, but it's not just RED trucks, it's all trucks.  In this case, it's not just children, but it's all unvaccinated people, of which children belong.

I feel like banned is the wrong word for all of this. "Prohibited" is better. Banned makes me thinks of like 90s libraries banning books like Harry Potter or something 

[steveknj]

2 minutes ago, aubreyc1988 said:

I feel like banned is the wrong word for all of this. "Prohibited" is better. Banned makes me thinks of like 90s libraries banning books like Harry Potter or something 

 

I was just using his preferred terminology.  I agree.  But I think he's trying to make that point that they aren't allowed.  It's not that they are children but that they are unvaccinated.  Children happened to get caught in that policy.

[aubreyc1988]

15 minutes ago, steveknj said:

 

I was just using his preferred terminology.  I agree.  But I think he's trying to make that point that they aren't allowed.  It's not that they are children but that they are unvaccinated.  Children happened to get caught in that policy.

exactly. Hate the "NCL hates families" spin ugh

[JamieLogical]

4 minutes ago, Heymarco said:

My point was NCL has the strictest vaccines policies, there’s not doubt they will enforce a booster shot. Come back in 6 months and tell me I was wrong.

 

Sorry that “banned” was such a trigger word for some people. Call it what you want, doesn’t change the facts. Difference for children and families is they don’t have a choice when it comes to vaccine or NCL.

 

Well, their current policy doesn't even last 6 month, as it is set to expire on January 1. However, I do fully expect them to extend it. If they can feasibly come up with a way to implement a booster requirement, then great! I just think it's a little more challenging because only certain populations are/will be eligible for boosters. It's a lot easier to look at the date of your second shot, see you are more than two weeks out, and say you are good to go than it will be to say check a whole litany of boxes:

• Did you get Pfizer?
• Are you over 65?
• Are you at high risk (how would they even know)?
• Are you a healthcare worker (again, how would they know?)
• Has it been more than 6 months since your second dose?

Much harder to enforce than show me you got two shots of Moderna/Pfizer or one of J&J and it's been more than 2 weeks since.

[UKstages]

28 minutes ago, aubreyc1988 said:

exactly. Hate the "NCL hates families" spin ugh

 

honestly, NCL have done a very poor job with the whole hating families thing!

 

the VP of family hate and disengagement should be fired.

 

first, it was the laser tag, then the go karts and the water slides, then the shirley temples in the soda package and, OMG, mini-golf. then there was splash academy, guppies and entourage - and that whole "kids cruise free" concept - why, that alone should have been grounds for immediate dismissal!

 

they have failed miserably with their campaign of family hate.

[steveknj]

33 minutes ago, Heymarco said:

My point was NCL has the strictest vaccines policies, there’s not doubt they will enforce a booster shot. Come back in 6 months and tell me I was wrong.

 

Sorry that “banned” was such a trigger word for some people. Call it what you want, doesn’t change the facts. Difference for children and families is they don’t have a choice when it comes to vaccine or NCL.

 

Again, you keep coming back and making it seem that it's a vendetta by NCL against children and families specifically.  That's not their intent.   That's just how you are spinning it.   Families DO have a choice.  They can sail on any cruise line that accepts unvaccinated people.  Or just wait until vaccines are approved for children which I assume is coming within the next couple of months.  And if they enforce needing a booster, I'm fine with that too.  I'd rather cruise without the threat of getting Covid and without having to wear a mask, than not.  NCLs policy suits me.   Would I look at it differently if I had young kids?  Perhaps.  But I'd also not want to put my kids in danger either would probably skip cruising altogether until the pandemic is under control.

[BirdTravels]

On 9/24/2021 at 7:02 AM, ProblemCruiser said:

Children weren't banned but can't get vaccinated yet.  It'll be great to be able to try the stuff the screaming kids usually dominate like the water slide or galaxy pavillion or the race track and laser tag.  Maybe I'll even check out the arcade for once.

Well,,, we've been on 3 cruises since restart. There are plenty of "screaming kids" running around the ship. With the reduced capacity, maybe fewer, but they are still there. From our perspective, it is the 12+ group that normally impacts other cruisers the most. The little kids are usually with their parents, while the near-teens and teens are left to run free. We've cruised for many years with kids, but those days are now over. 

[psac]

Technically kids under 12 who have been vaccinated as part of trials can sail. So some kids under 12 can sail, just a very very small number right now, so it is not a total ban, per se.  
 

Edited September 27, 2021 by psac

[julig22]

42 minutes ago, psac said:

Technically kids under 12 who have been vaccinated as part of trials can sail. So some kids under 12 can sail, just a very very small number right now, so it is not a total ban, per se.  
 

Sorry but no.  Per NCL vaccine guidelines, participants in trials are not considered fully vaccinated because they are blind studies; participants have no knowledge of what vaccine/dose, if any, they were given

[ChiefMateJRK]

I like kids.  They just have fun and don’t complain about others on the ship. 

[BirdTravels]

17 minutes ago, julig22 said:

Sorry but no.  Per NCL vaccine guidelines, participants in trials are not considered fully vaccinated because they are blind studies; participants have no knowledge of what vaccine/dose, if any, they were given

Not all studies were blind studies. Part of the phase 3 trials were blinded. And they have been unblinded to submit the final reports to the CDC and FDA for their emergency use order request. 

[julig22]

10 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Not all studies were blind studies. Part of the phase 3 trials were blinded. And they have been unblinded to submit the final reports to the CDC and FDA for their emergency use order request. 

That could be true - but still excluded from sailing on NCL "as they do not specify the vaccine received"

Edited September 27, 2021 by julig22

[BirdTravels]

1 minute ago, julig22 said:

That could be true - but still excluded from sailing "as they do not specify the vaccine received"

Our friend (not child) got an official vaccine card after being unblinded in a trial. And got a 3rd line on their card a few months ago as part of the booster clinical trial. 

[julig22]

2 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Our friend (not child) got an official vaccine card after being unblinded in a trial. And got a 3rd line on their card a few months ago as part of the booster clinical trial. 

They have a vaccine card which is what is required.  Just pointing out that a person in a trial without a vaccine card can't travel, per NCL - in response to the person who presumed a child in a trial could travel.  Not worth arguing about it.  

[twonpcb]

On 9/24/2021 at 9:35 AM, OrcaGirl said:

 

This! I really hope the OP comes back to clarify the source of this 'conflicting information' that led to this thread because I'm genuinely curious; my personal theory is that they may be conflating vaccination requirements with pre-embarkation testing requirements/recommendations.

OK y’all, I am the OP and I really did not intend to cause such an uproar.  I am going to keep politics completely out of my response.  I live in Florida.  Our governor at some point issued a decree that cruise lines could not require folks to prove they were vaccinated before boarded a cruise ship.  I then see NCL is requiring 100% vaccination for all crew and passengers.  My simple “conflicting information” post was how is NCL doing this with DeSantis’ decree?
 

T

[njhorseman]

3 hours ago, twonpcb said:

OK y’all, I am the OP and I really did not intend to cause such an uproar.  I am going to keep politics completely out of my response.  I live in Florida.  Our governor at some point issued a decree that cruise lines could not require folks to prove they were vaccinated before boarded a cruise ship.  I then see NCL is requiring 100% vaccination for all crew and passengers.  My simple “conflicting information” post was how is NCL doing this with DeSantis’ decree?
 

T

But you said to forget about Florida, apparently not knowing NCL had obtained an injunction preventing Florida from enforcing its law, and went on to seem to say that you had seen conflicting information about NCL requiring vaccination elsewhere. That's why your comment about conflicting information was so confusing.

[psac]

6 hours ago, twonpcb said:

OK y’all, I am the OP and I really did not intend to cause such an uproar.  I am going to keep politics completely out of my response.  I live in Florida.  Our governor at some point issued a decree that cruise lines could not require folks to prove they were vaccinated before boarded a cruise ship.  I then see NCL is requiring 100% vaccination for all crew and passengers.  My simple “conflicting information” post was how is NCL doing this with DeSantis’ decree?
 

T

The simple answer is they sued Florida and got an injunction that said they could continue to demand vaccinations for the safety of their guests. Technically (as I understand it) they didn’t win the suit yet, but the judge is so sure they are likely to win that they granted the injunction. 

[Altamira]

On 9/27/2021 at 6:59 AM, psac said:

The simple answer is they sued Florida and got an injunction that said they could continue to demand vaccinations for the safety of their guests. Technically (as I understand it) they didn’t win the suit yet, but the judge is so sure they are likely to win that they granted the injunction. 

We’ve cruised 42 times in six different cruise lines and have only just booked our first cruise since the start of the pandemic with Norwegian precisely because of their vaccination policy. We think it’s the best and safest right now.  We have cruise credits with Royal Carib, (from a cancelled cruise with them in May 2020), but we’re not about to get on a cruise ship with unvaccinated people of any age right now.

So very excited about our little sailing on the Encore in Nov. The ship’s entertainment sounds amazing. Welcoming any words of advice about Norwegian.

 

Following recommendations we’ve read here on CC, we’ve booked Cagney’s, Ocean Blue, and Onda. And also our snorkeling excursions. But sounds like we have to wait to book the shows, (Kinky Boots and Choir of Man), onboard. I imagine that’s likely to be a crush on embarkation day, right? What’s the best place to do that?

 

Thank you all. We’ve missed cruising so much. 

 

 

[hallux]

4 hours ago, Altamira said:

What’s the best place to do that?

The touch-screens near the elevator lobbies may be the best option.  The screens face the stairs.  There are two at each elevator bank, one portside, one starboard on each deck...

Edited September 29, 2021 by hallux

[graphicguy]

Not getting all the drama.  It's been since summer that all these protocols have been put into affect by NCL.  There should be no ambivalence.  100% Vaccination to cruise on their ships.  Further, a negative COVID test required at embarkation.  I don't see any conflicting info.

 

Boosters?  That's just starting to be "a thing".  However, if you are currently fully vaccinated, you are essentially "safe" from serious illness via COVID (notwithstanding the extremely miniscule cases reported).

 

It's not even clear that there is a requirement for boosters.

 

If anyone won't get vaccinated, or won't test for COVID upon embarkation, regardless of age, alleged religious affiliation (although I've yet run into any major world religion banning vaccines), or supposed medical prohibitions (again, none that I've heard of that have been reliably reported).......You ain't sailing!!!!!

 

Pretty crystal clear IMHO!

[bjay3]

Looking to see if any Canadians have sailed the last month. As we can only fly into the States that is one issue. How did pre-flight Covid testing go? Were there any additional issues related to testing prior to the cruise? What about testing after the cruise for the flight back?

[OrcaGirl]

33 minutes ago, bjay3 said:

Looking to see if any Canadians have sailed the last month. As we can only fly into the States that is one issue. How did pre-flight Covid testing go? Were there any additional issues related to testing prior to the cruise? What about testing after the cruise for the flight back?

 

If you haven't already checked it out, the Canadian Cruisers board has lots of intel on pre-flight testing, etc. for Canadians.

[boswell0877]

20 minutes ago, Heymarco said:

That seems to be NCL‘s new target audience, they certainly don’t want children or families anymore. 

 

maybe.  but i applaud their vaccination and testing protocol.  the last thing i want to do is be around 50% of the passengers that are not vaccinated and not wearing a mask.

 

i want to minimize the risk of catching COVID, being asymptomatic and passing it on to my grand kids.