Will Covid Vaccination Requirement be extended beyond Dec 31?

[Cabernetlover]

As I understand it, Princess is requiring proof of Covid vaccinations only through cruises leaving before December 31, 2021.  I'm concerned that they are not going to extend that date.   Has anyone heard anything about this?   I'm scheduled for a cruise on Jan. 6, 2022, and I don't want to go if they don't require passengers and crew to be vaccinated.    

[Sea Hag]

My guess is that they will, but I wouldn't be surprised either way. Haven't heard any mention of it from Princess.

[iancal]

Who knows???

 

My guess would be yes.  Covid still has a long way to go.  January is not far off.

 

The last thing any cruise line needs is the bad PR from a potential floating covid ward. 

 

 

[luvtravel]

We have reservations for March on Princess - if they discontinue vaxx required - we will be cancelling.  I don't think they will discontinue that requirement...but will keep tabs.  Thanks for raising this question.

[memoak]

I think the vaccination requirement will be in place for quite a long time but hopefully the 2 day testing requirement will be gone. 

[TM]

I would agree that Princess will keep the vaccination requirements in place well into 2022.  Testing will most like stay in place for a while also.  IMHO.

[puggymom]

Some ports are requiring vaccinated so the cruise lines will have to require it if they want to go those ports. 

[fluffybunny22]

I don't see major changes in the way floating petri dishes are trying to prevent huge outbreaks of a deadly disease. I think vaccine mandates and masking are here for the long haul.

[cltnccruisers]

21 minutes ago, fluffybunny22 said:

I don't see major changes in the way floating petri dishes are trying to prevent huge outbreaks of a deadly disease. I think vaccine mandates and masking are here for the long haul.

They've been pretty successful so far.  You're free to take the bus if you'd prefer.

[cltnccruisers]

We cruised last month and didn't feel uncomfortable.  We've got 4 more scheduled in 2022 and 2023 including a March, 2022, family cruise.  We expect current controls to be in place throughout.

[fluffybunny22]

17 minutes ago, cltnccruisers said:

They've been pretty successful so far.  You're free to take the bus if you'd prefer.

I'm not complaining about the way the cruise lines are going about it. My in laws aren't happy about it and have already been asking and suggesting we postpone our joint June 2022 cruise until 2023. We've decided we are fine with vaccine mandates, testing and masking. Unless the cruise is cancelled or the itinerary is majorly altered we'll be going in June.

[cltnccruisers]

2 minutes ago, fluffybunny22 said:

I'm not complaining about the way the cruise lines are going about it. My in laws aren't happy about it and have already been asking and suggesting we postpone our joint June 2022 cruise until 2023. We've decided we are fine with vaccine mandates, testing and masking. Unless the cruise is cancelled or the itinerary is majorly altered we'll be going in June.

Our ABC cruise last month we couldn't go ashore in Nassau but that's no great loss.  The upcoming 11/27 replaced Grand Cayman with Costa Maya.  Most folks seem ok with that.  The 2 day test window makes travel to port a little touch 'n go but I tested the home kit today and it seems fine after working out some connection issues.  Adapt and overcome.  🙂

[memoak]

The testing requirement is my one concern with the news that there may be a shortage of home tests with major companies buying up whole chunks of tests so they can test employees

[subaru94]

I think it will stay until at least end of 2022 early 2023, cruising has not commenced everywhere, here in Australia still waiting and probably not until early next year if we are lucky, heard New Zealand not letting cruise ships in until October 2022 (whether that is true or rumour not sure).

[cltnccruisers]

42 minutes ago, memoak said:

The testing requirement is my one concern with the news that there may be a shortage of home tests with major companies buying up whole chunks of tests so they can test employees

Which is why I already have ours for our 11/27 cruise.  But I'll still try to schedule a test at a CVS near Ft Lauderdale for 11/26.  

[Ombud]

Right now I am safer on a cruise ship than almost anywhere in the USA. Our county's positivity rate at 2.0% is much MUCH lower than most locals but still higher than ships. We are 87.8% fully vaxed / 4.6% with 1 shot and yet significantly lower than the ships. Yeah, I'm safer onboard (and we still mask indoors)

 

Hoping they keep vax / testing / masks in some settings. 

[joepeka]

1 hour ago, memoak said:

The testing requirement is my one concern with the news that there may be a shortage of home tests with major companies buying up whole chunks of tests so they can test employees

I agree. Vaccination is no problem for us (getting the booster in fact very soon) but the 2-day lead time for testing is stressful and costly if you want to go the home test route a few times in the 7-10 days ahead of your "real" test in a lab/pharmacy/etc. to have any peace of mind.

[NSWP]

1 hour ago, Ombud said:

Right now I am safer on a cruise ship than almost anywhere in the USA. Our county's positivity rate at 2.0% is much MUCH lower than most locals but still higher than ships. We are 87.8% fully vaxed / 4.6% with 1 shot and yet significantly lower than the ships. Yeah, I'm safer onboard (and we still mask indoors)

 

Hoping they keep vax / testing / masks in some settings. 

But you have to leave the ship at some time and re enter the Corona Virus world in the USA, which is still horrific.   I would agree you are probably reasonablysafe from Covid on a ship, if the cruise lines adhere to and enforce the covid regulations and policies.

Edited October 11, 2021 by NSWP

[Ombud]

Thats why I'm doing ship excursions in Jamaica, Cartagena, and Limon 

[joepeka]

2 minutes ago, Ombud said:

Thats why I'm doing ship excursions in Jamaica, Cartagena, and Limon 

I would too. 🙂

[caribill]

5 hours ago, Ombud said:

Thats why I'm doing ship excursions in Jamaica, Cartagena, and Limon 

 

I assume there are not "bubble" excursions which would have minimal contact with the local population.

 

Unless they are "bubble" excursions, they have no more or less risk than if you had an independent excursion.

[Lizabu]

You would have to have pretty consistent herd immunity worldwide before anyone is going to be able to start dropping vaccine requirements. We could be there as soon as 2-3 years. Certainly not by December.

[Stevie17]

14 hours ago, Ombud said:

Right now I am safer on a cruise ship than almost anywhere in the USA. Our county's positivity rate at 2.0% is much MUCH lower than most locals but still higher than ships. We are 87.8% fully vaxed / 4.6% with 1 shot and yet significantly lower than the ships. Yeah, I'm safer onboard (and we still mask indoors)

 

Hoping they keep vax / testing / masks in some settings. 

This! I keep telling people that I am safer on a cruise ship these days than I am eating in a local, crowded restaurant. 

[Stevie17]

14 hours ago, joepeka said:

I agree. Vaccination is no problem for us (getting the booster in fact very soon) but the 2-day lead time for testing is stressful and costly if you want to go the home test route a few times in the 7-10 days ahead of your "real" test in a lab/pharmacy/etc. to have any peace of mind.

Our cruise is on January 2nd, and we will test at CVS with a rapid antigen test on the morning of 12/31. I would love to have some of the home tests on hand, but given their expiration dates, I don't feel like I can order them at this point in time. Having the option of the Binax Now with AG Card option would be outstanding, but I'm hesitant to spend that money (there are four of us on the cruise) only to find out that they will expire before January 2nd. I would love for the testing requirement to fall by the wayside, at least for those of us who are fully vaccinated. I think this will all depend upon the trajectory of infection in the coming months.

Edited October 12, 2021 by Stevie17

[fluffybunny22]

17 minutes ago, Stevie17 said:

Our cruise is on January 2nd, and we will test at CVS with a rapid antigen test on the morning of 12/31. I would love to have some of the home tests on hand, but given their expiration dates, I don't feel like I can order them at this point in time. Having the option of the Binax Now with AG Card option would be outstanding, but I'm hesitant to spend that money (there are four of us on the cruise) only to find out that they will expire before January 2nd. I would love for the testing requirement to fall by the wayside, at least for those of us who are fully vaccinated. I think this will all depend upon the trajectory of infection in the coming months.

I clicked the link that Princess provides for the supervised home tests and it says the FDA allowed a 3 month extension on the expiration date.