HAL updated policy

[Florida_gal_50]

48 minutes ago, TonyC1952 said:

I recently sailed on the Koningsdam and, in questioning the guest services agent, I discovered that indeed there were unvaccinated guests traveling with us. This was in early November. He insisted that they were following CDC guidelines of 95% vaccinated and tried to reassure me. I was not happy.

Yeah I think that front desk person was confused.  They are not the sharpest knives in the drawer. You were asked to provide proof of vaccination when you embarked.  I was also on koningsdam in November.  

Edited January 6, 2022 by Florida_gal_50

[Grambler]

On 1/4/2022 at 9:17 AM, lderochi said:

IMO your PCC is very optimistic to think that the vaccine requirement will not be extended for at least some period. I think it has already been extended, tbh - the current policy is until further notice, I don’t see any reference to the March expiration.  The Update/FAQ is poorly worded but I take it to mean that until further notice full vaccination is REQUIRED, and a Booster shot is “strongly encouraged” 
 

 

“Optimistic” is a kind descriptor. I would get a new PCC, vaccine mandates for cruises will likely remain for some time - the only change will be to make boosters mandatory which will almost assuredly happen in the next few weeks.

[zgscl]

5 hours ago, RAS4331 said:

MTAK, thank you!  People are muddying the waters when there is no need for muddying.  The vaccination requirements are clearly stated and clearly marked under the FAQ.  They have not been changed or updated so they are not included in the “update” announcement.  Any kind of panic that “vaccinations are no longer required” is completely unwarranted.  

Exactly right, the flyer (updated 1/3) clearly states vaccination is still required as do the FAQ. The FAQ indicates until further notice (which is a change I think from the March expiration date). 

US-Cruise-Protocols-0103 (1).pdf

[zgscl]

4 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Yeah I think that front desk person was confused.  They are not the sharpest knives in the drawer. You were asked to provide proof of vaccination when you embarked.  I was also on koningsdam in November.  

I think you are probably correct on this. Everything I have seen has said 100% vaccination required, no exceptions for children, etc. The front desk is a consistent weak point across the fleet (and I say this as someone who loves & is very loyal to HAL). I am very thankful to have access to the Neptune Concierge who have thankfully saved me from dealing with them for the most part. 

 

 

On 1/4/2022 at 5:53 AM, ilv4cruising said:

So up until yesterday they policy for vaccinated passengers was set to expire at the end of March.  When I contacted my PCC to see if it would be extended she said she didn't think so and couldn't "imagine that vaccination status will be the new norm".  Since our cruise is in April (with final payment due in the next few days) I've been watching to see if HAL would change this policy.

I think your PCC has no idea what they are talking about in regards to this, and the update as of 1/3 seems to back that up. 

 

4 hours ago, Grambler said:

“Optimistic” is a kind descriptor. I would get a new PCC, vaccine mandates for cruises will likely remain for some time - the only change will be to make boosters mandatory which will almost assuredly happen in the next few weeks.

Totally agree, this is not something a representative of HAL should be speculating on. People will assume they have some kind of inside information and make decisions accordingly. 

[ontheweb]

13 hours ago, KirkNC said:

I think this is another failure to communicate (aka Cool Hand Luke).  HAL is notorious for screwing up these types of communications.  I am pretty certain vaccinations are still required.

Yes, and they are more likely to add boosters to the requirement than to drop any vaccination requirement.

[Grambler]

May I ask an off topic question? What does the “trophy” symbol represent of the 3 reaction choices? I am familiar with the ❤️ and the 😀 but not that one.

[zelker]

Just now, Grambler said:

May I ask an off topic question? What does the “trophy” symbol represent of the 3 reaction choices? I am familiar with the ❤️ and the 😀 but not that one.

You can hover over each one and it shows you what they mean.  The trophy is "thanks".

[nocl]

16 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Yeah I think that front desk person was confused.  They are not the sharpest knives in the drawer. You were asked to provide proof of vaccination when you embarked.  I was also on koningsdam in November.  

Sometimes the families of officers sail on board, they do include children too young to be vaccinated. I expect those and some with documented medical exemptions will be on board atleast some cruises, especially during the holidays.

[KirkNC]

6 minutes ago, nocl said:

Sometimes the families of officers sail on board, they do include children too young to be vaccinated. I expect those and some with documented medical exemptions will be on board atleast some cruises, especially during the holidays.

Yes we have seen officers children on grand voyages but I wonder if they would allow them right now.  No way to know as there are no grand voyages anytime soon.

[Florida_gal_50]

9 minutes ago, nocl said:

Sometimes the families of officers sail on board, they do include children too young to be vaccinated. I expect those and some with documented medical exemptions will be on board atleast some cruises, especially during the holidays.

Maybe on the officers.  I don't feel that most passengers wouldn't be mixing in with officers kids though.  I realize that there could be potential for spread but I would think that would be small.  I'm pretty sure I had read in Hals protocols that exemptions would not be granted but that may have been a while ago.  I won't go looking for it either.  I feel the front desk has a script for every question and they give the scripted answer that best fits the situation.

[nocl]

13 minutes ago, KirkNC said:

Yes we have seen officers children on grand voyages but I wonder if they would allow them right now.  No way to know as there are no grand voyages anytime soon.

one person commented a couple of months ago how the young daughter grabbed a toy animal of some kind that they traveled with and the captain contacted them and had them order a replacement at his expense. So they have been on board since the restart.

[jeh10641]

Grambler

The trophy means "thanks".

 

To all readers: I was on the Rotterdam 12/01/21 and it was a vaxxed cruise. Did not see any kids younger than teenagers. My belief is that vaccinations will be required for 2022 and even beyond. Boosters may soon become requirement as well based on my research. Under Rotterdam reviews you can find my multipage review of the Rotterdam. Here is the link.

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=683921

 

Jim

[Florida_gal_50]

24 minutes ago, nocl said:

one person commented a couple of months ago how the young daughter grabbed a toy animal of some kind that they traveled with and the captain contacted them and had them order a replacement at his expense. So they have been on board since the restart.

I was on the Koningsdam from Nov 7 - 2/21.  I never saw anyone younger than about 16 and that was rare.  Could there have been young children?  Maybe, but they were well hidden then.

[KroozNut]

On 1/4/2022 at 9:57 AM, nocl said:

So anyone looking at an Hawaii cruise should certainly be getting their boosters now.

And any future boosters that may be required. Who knows when this insane never-ending cycle of 'boosting' will end.... likely never, unfortunately. 😒😷

[zelker]

5 minutes ago, KroozNut said:

And any future boosters that may be required. Who knows when this insane never-ending cycle of 'boosting' will end.... likely never, unfortunately. 😒😷

 

Maybe you don't but we get annual flu vaccines.  If it's determined that we need annual COVID vaccines, too, then so be it ... I'd rather have a jab than get really sick (or worse).

[BarbinMich]

FWIW, I got my second booster yesterday as I believe that is now the CDC's recommendation.  My first shot and booster were in May of last year so it's probably a good idea to get boosted again, especially if a person is over 75 as am I.  I sailed on the Eurodam in late November and will be on the N. Amsterdam in a few weeks.  Disappointed to learn yesterday that Key West has been dropped from our itinerary and replaced with Bimini.  I was so looking forward to a piece of key lime pie <g>.

[12cruise2]

Yes, when we sailed on the NA for the four weeks in Nov/Dec, I will report that we had the experience of TonyC1952--the second to last week, a passenger by herself sat next to us in the MDR for dinner--and proceeded to report to us that she was not vaxed and had a medical exception issued to her.  We were furious, and our complaints went up and down the officer chain on the ship.  Once again, home office letting things happen that we are not being told about, then leaving the mess to the folks on board to deal with.  We as passengers should be made aware of any person not-vaxed; I believe other cruise lines with honest 95% may make those unvaxed wear wrist bands to identify themselves, be tested 2-3 times a week, and sit in a separate area in the large entertainment venues.  We were FURIOUS.  And WE ended up having to change dining tables for the last two weeks, not her, because she wouldn't move tables, and we didn't want to be anywhere near her, especially with the attitude she had about it all.  She said before we knew about her vax. non-compliance that she'd really wanted OUR table for dinner, but was told we had it for two of the four weeks she would be on the ship.  Then, of course, she ended up with our table, despite the maitre d' promising she wouldn't be assigned the table.  We did end up with a better table, but the whole idea of it all was infuriating.

Edited January 6, 2022 by 12cruise2

[Florida_gal_50]

3 hours ago, 12cruise2 said:

Yes, when we sailed on the NA for the four weeks in Nov/Dec, I will report that we had the experience of TonyC1952--the second to last week, a passenger by herself sat next to us in the MDR for dinner--and proceeded to report to us that she was not vaxed and had a medical exception issued to her.  We were furious, and our complaints went up and down the officer chain on the ship.  Once again, home office letting things happen that we are not being told about, then leaving the mess to the folks on board to deal with.  We as passengers should be made aware of any person not-vaxed; I believe other cruise lines with honest 95% may make those unvaxed wear wrist bands to identify themselves, be tested 2-3 times a week, and sit in a separate area in the large entertainment venues.  We were FURIOUS.  And WE ended up having to change dining tables for the last two weeks, not her, because she wouldn't move tables, and we didn't want to be anywhere near her, especially with the attitude she had about it all.  She said before we knew about her vax. non-compliance that she'd really wanted OUR table for dinner, but was told we had it for two of the four weeks she would be on the ship.  Then, of course, she ended up with our table, despite the maitre d' promising she wouldn't be assigned the table.  We did end up with a better table, but the whole idea of it all was infuriating.

Well some people like to talk garbage or stir the pot.  I don’t know that I believe that.  Here is a link to vaccine requirements.  There aren’t exemptions.

 

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/worry-free-promise/travel-well/frequently-asked-questions/faq-for-cruises-from-usa.html#vaccine

Edited January 7, 2022 by Florida_gal_50

[syesmar]

Look at this footnote for the asterisk in the first paragraph under “Vaccination and Testing Requirements” at https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/worry-free-promise/travel-well/covid-guest-protocols.html :
“*Vaccination exemptions must be pre-approved and are subject to capacity controls. Exemptions are not granted on embarkation day. Unvaccinated guests must adhere to specific protocols and testing requirements as communicated to them in advance, as a condition for travel.”

 

Of course, this contradicts other areas of the website where it says there are no exceptions. That this is visible on their website by searching is concerning. Guests need to be adequately informed in advance one way or the other, not be surprised once on board.

Edited January 7, 2022 by syesmar

[RAS4331]

I’m not going to stay home from my cruise because a very small percentage of people on board might be medically exempted from vaccination.  I will trust the ship to adequately test and observe those persons.  After all, the company has literally everything at stake in keeping the passengers and crew healthy.

 

That being said, the unvaccinated person referred to in this incident sounds extremely unpleasant, and I would have been unhappy with her, too!

[zelker]

These are the most current guidelines, dated January 3rd which specifically state everyone must be fully vaccinated.  No fine print re: exemptions.

 

U.S. Sailings Questions & Answers 

Everything you need to know about current health protocols on sailings from the U.S.

Updated January 3, 2022

Your health and safety are our highest priorities.
Until further notice, our cruises are available for guests who have ALL of the following:

All guests also will be required to be fully vaccinated and produce a negative viral COVID-19 test (PCR or antigen) result taken within 2 days of their embarkation.

All guests regardless of age will be required to wear face masks at all times in elevators and in all indoor areas of the ship, except when eating or drinking or in their own staterooms. This includes wearing face masks prior to being seated in all dining venues and Lido Market, while dancing in public lounges, and outdoors if in large gatherings and physical distancing cannot be maintained.

As advised by health authorities, guests are recommended to use higher-grade masks indoors (such as surgical or KN95) that have two or more layers, completely cover the nose and mouth, fit snugly against the sides of the face and have a nose wire.

Until further notice, smoking will not be permitted in the casino.

As the CDC has strongly recommended that all persons over 12 years obtain a COVID-19 booster vaccination when eligible, we strongly encourage all guests who are eligible to receive a booster vaccine to complete the booster at least seven days before boarding.

[ilv4cruising]

On 1/7/2022 at 12:23 AM, zelker said:

These are the most current guidelines, dated January 3rd which specifically state everyone must be fully vaccinated.  No fine print re: exemptions.

 

U.S. Sailings Questions & Answers 

Everything you need to know about current health protocols on sailings from the U.S.

Updated January 3, 2022

Your health and safety are our highest priorities.
Until further notice, our cruises are available for guests who have ALL of the following:

All guests also will be required to be fully vaccinated and produce a negative viral COVID-19 test (PCR or antigen) result taken within 2 days of their embarkation.

All guests regardless of age will be required to wear face masks at all times in elevators and in all indoor areas of the ship, except when eating or drinking or in their own staterooms. This includes wearing face masks prior to being seated in all dining venues and Lido Market, while dancing in public lounges, and outdoors if in large gatherings and physical distancing cannot be maintained.

As advised by health authorities, guests are recommended to use higher-grade masks indoors (such as surgical or KN95) that have two or more layers, completely cover the nose and mouth, fit snugly against the sides of the face and have a nose wire.

Until further notice, smoking will not be permitted in the casino.

As the CDC has strongly recommended that all persons over 12 years obtain a COVID-19 booster vaccination when eligible, we strongly encourage all guests who are eligible to receive a booster vaccine to complete the booster at least seven days before boarding.

So it looks like HAL realized that the "summary" description was missing the "fully vaccinated" requirement and updated their website (but kept the same date since it is probably retroactive).  I agree with other posters that in the details listed below it was mentioned but my experience is not everyone would read that :). 

 

Glad they updated the summary as well. 

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Am sailing in February and received an "Important Notification" today stating must be fully vaccinated and have negative Covid test, 2 days prior. Nothing about the booster and nothing about masking.

One would think the notification would include everything in the stated guidelines.

[KroozNut]

5 hours ago, SJSULIBRARIAN said:

Am sailing in February and received an "Important Notification" today stating must be fully vaccinated and have negative Covid test, 2 days prior. Nothing about the booster and nothing about masking.

One would think the notification would include everything in the stated guidelines.

 

Sounds like they included the most important information, the rest (i.e., masking etc.) is detailed in their stated policy which is readily available on their site.

Booster is strongly encouraged, not required (at least at this point).

[ChutChut]

On 1/6/2022 at 5:10 PM, 12cruise2 said:

Yes, when we sailed on the NA for the four weeks in Nov/Dec, I will report that we had the experience of TonyC1952--the second to last week, a passenger by herself sat next to us in the MDR for dinner--and proceeded to report to us that she was not vaxed and had a medical exception issued to her.  We were furious, and our complaints went up and down the officer chain on the ship.  Once again, home office letting things happen that we are not being told about, then leaving the mess to the folks on board to deal with.  We as passengers should be made aware of any person not-vaxed; I believe other cruise lines with honest 95% may make those unvaxed wear wrist bands to identify themselves, be tested 2-3 times a week, and sit in a separate area in the large entertainment venues.  We were FURIOUS.  And WE ended up having to change dining tables for the last two weeks, not her, because she wouldn't move tables, and we didn't want to be anywhere near her, especially with the attitude she had about it all.  She said before we knew about her vax. non-compliance that she'd really wanted OUR table for dinner, but was told we had it for two of the four weeks she would be on the ship.  Then, of course, she ended up with our table, despite the maitre d' promising she wouldn't be assigned the table.  We did end up with a better table, but the whole idea of it all was infuriating.

Would you be furious if the person sitting next to you was HIV-positive? It's none of your business what the medical status is of anyone around you. You're not entitled to know that information.