CDC Replaces Expiring CSO on Jan 15 with new Voluntary COVID 19 Programs

[Ken the cruiser]

It would be interesting to hear, which we probably never will, how many B2B passengers who are required to take an antigen test the day prior to transition day actually test positive. We would be quite happy if the B2B negative antigen testing requirement would disappear IF that number proves to be super low.

[TeaBag]

Unvaccinated people can serve themselves at the buffet?

Passengers will once again be able to use buffets and self-serve stations, regardless of passenger vaccination status.

[Ken the cruiser]

I’m just curious, but why exactly would Celebrity decide to go back to self-serve buffets even after the CSO expires? Where’s the logic in that decision when so many of their passengers have expressed so much delight with them being gone?

[jelayne]

3 hours ago, PTC DAWG said:

I don’t see the vaccine requirement going away for quite some time myself. 

I hope it doesn’t. 

[the penguins]

4 hours ago, PTC DAWG said:

I don’t see the vaccine requirement going away for quite some time myself. 

Hapag Lloyd cruises are making it mandatory for passengers to have had the booster. What's interesting is that HL are owned by TUI cruises which is 50% owned by Royal. Watch this space boosters will be mandatory soon.

[miaminative0853]

7 hours ago, TeaBag said:

Unvaccinated people can serve themselves at the buffet?

Passengers will once again be able to use buffets and self-serve stations, regardless of passenger vaccination status.

CDC 2 weeks ago: EVERYONE STAY AWAY FROM CRUISE SHIPS!

CDC Now: Unvaccinated? Happy to have you on board. Grab some tongs and go at it.

[5:00_Somewhere]

11 hours ago, RICCruisers said:

This makes my decision easier. I will be canceling my cruise on 1/24. 

 

We're having similar thoughts. Final payment for our March cruise on the Reflection is due next Tuesday, and we're debating whether or not to cancel. On the one hand we have the Cruise with Confidence credit option if we don't feel comfortable sailing when the date arrives, but on the other hand if Celebrity does decide to drop the CSO requirements (vaccination, negative tests, reduced passenger capacity, masks), I'm not sure I'll feel comfortable on a future cruise either. Hoping to hear something about Celebrity's plans in this regard - at least for the immediate term - in the next couple of days. 

[finny2]

I had canceled a cruise and have been waiting and watching, thinking if/when Amicron cases subside, I will book a last minute cruise for late March or April. So I really hope Celebrity doesn’t change anything. Dropping masks would be ok, but everything else stay the same, please.

[cruisefam38]

My reading of the CDC statement leaves me with this thought:

 

Neither a victory laurel nor an olive branch, the statement offers a tall tree and a thick stretch of rope. 

 

The cruise industry can either put the best interests of it's passengers and crew first both in practice and appearance, or it can grab hold of that rope and tie a fancy knot. 

 

Will the individual cruise lines choose to step up and maintain strong pandemic mitigation practices during the foreseeable future, or will they step up and put their necks in the noose?

[kearney]

I don't see Celebrity making changes anytime soon. One reason I was concerned about a mid Feb sailing... they will likely keep masking requirements in place long after needed... they don't want to be criticized for dropping them. I was someone testifying in Congress and basically telling them that we are all going to get it. So it sounds like masking, no masking, vaccinated or not... won't make a difference with Omicron. The real question is.. if the virus is really becoming less lethal. And at what point do we have enough information to say... it is now just like the flu and go back to life as usual. I think the fear of illness has become so ingrained in us that we can't let go. I was reading a story about requiring people on a zoom call to wear masks... because it bothered some of the participants to see people without them... is this really our future.  Now that the CDC has tossed this back into the lapse of the cruise lines... I am wondering if I should make final payment on an April cruise.. 

[TeeRick]

10 hours ago, PTC DAWG said:

I don’t see the vaccine requirement going away for quite some time myself. 

Let's face it right now the vaccination requirement is a critical marketing tool for their customer base and it helps them with attracting our revenue.  I could see them putting a booster requirement in place soon.  But probably dropping masks on board as Omicron rapidly declines in the next month or so.

[kearney]

13 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

Let's face it right now the vaccination requirement is a critical marketing tool for their customer base and it helps them with attracting our revenue.  I could see them putting a booster requirement in place soon.  But probably dropping masks on board as Omicron rapidly declines in the next month or so.

I hope you are correct .. especially about masking... since 65+ are highly vaccinated... a bulk of their target is already there. 

[cgolf1]

What I am interested in is if the testing requirements will change for boosted individuals pre cruise since the CDC doesn't seem to worry about us that much. We have purchased the tests through Celebrity, but if one fails we are pretty much screwed.

 

Our Walgreens doesn't offer the antigen test in WI and the PCR tests are flown to NC the night they are taken, so with the surge now I wouldn't expect to get the results in time to sail. Unfortunately their 24 hour rapid test is 'Rapid Diagnostic Test (ID NOW)'  which I don't believe meets Celebrity's guidelines. So we are kind of in a box here.

 

I really hope they don't drop the masking anytime soon. We even booked first class flights down, two across seating, and a hotel within walking distance of port ot minimize our risk.

Edited January 13, 2022 by cgolf1

[cangelmd]

10 hours ago, canderson said:

@cangelmd

Agreed ... X would be crazy to drop their vaccination requirement unless they're going to change up and start dealing in antibody levels.  Having some confidence that the likely near term increase in symptomatic cases won't overwhelm their medical staff with more seriously ill pax is their only option.  

I didn’t express myself very well, I was referring to the part of the report that said ships with 95% vaccinated passengers can do … 95% may be a high bar for Disney, Royal, Carnival that have lots of families, I think they should try to reach that level, but until vaccines are available for the under 5s, it may be difficult, especially if ships start truly filling up (which remains to be seen).

 

 I don’t think self serve buffets play much a role at all in spread of Covid - Noro, definitely, maybe flu and simple colds. Covid can live on surfaces, but for whatever reason, touch is not a big method of spread.
I always hand sanitize when entering the buffet, even if I’m just passing through for some reason, it’s a habit. If I’m going to eat, I wash my hands, then use sanitizer, which is what I do 5 times a day at work. I try to remember to bring sanitizer and use it after I return from buffet and unroll my napkin, but before I start eating. I actual sanitize again on the way out the buffet door. I believe you are much better protected from Noro by your behavior. On our one post-Covid cruise when I could not get my own salad, the young lady using tongs and spoons for salad had no gloves on, slightly trailing sleeves - gave me pause, I would have felt more comfortable getting my own salad and cleaning hands afterward.

Seeing someon using their fingers, or putting food back, or sneezing - that’s a whole different thing, that food is contaminated.

I know my view is in the minority, but my guess is that it will make the buffet very slow and crowded with a full ship if you have to tell someone what you want, although I’m sure there’s a lot less food wastage.

[teacherman]

One thing I really noticed on HAL, and appreciated, was that they have always served passengers in the buffet.  It seems to be more pleasant and much cleaner.  Ask for as much as you want, but I think there is a little more thought when you ask for something, as you have to actually consider how many pieces of something you want, rather than just "scooping it up" and putting it on your plate.   It may take a few more staff members to do this.

[kearney]

1 minute ago, teacherman said:

One thing I really noticed on HAL, and appreciated, was that they have always served passengers in the buffet.  It seems to be more pleasant and much cleaner.  Ask for as much as you want, but I think there is a little more thought when you ask for something, as you have to actually consider how many pieces of something you want, rather than just "scooping it up" and putting it on your plate.   It may take a few more staff members to do this.

They have been doing this on Celebrity since they started up again

[cangelmd]

I agree that nothing will change until Omicron subsides a bit, that masks will be the first thing to go, but I think testing will be required for awhile, unless for some reason a common variant can’t be detected (and that is possible, but quite unlikely).

 I look at testing like this, they don’t want someone on board is likely transmitting virus (which is what a positive antigen test tells you), they have put the onus and the expense of this off on the passengers, so why not ( from their perspective)? I can see them tweaking the policies, maybe bringing them in line with the policy for entry to country of the departure port, but even that gets really complicated.

 

Someone mentioned antibody tests, the commercially available ones are still kind of useless. I think the manufacturers are working on something, but native infection Abs don’t stick around very long, and there is some issue with testing for the vaccine induced antibodies.

[PTC DAWG]

1 hour ago, kearney said:

. The real question is.. if the virus is really becoming less lethal. And at what point do we have enough information to say... it is now just like the flu and go back to life as usual.. 

I had it over the Holidays..nothing like the Flu..The Flu is tough.  This thing was a cold.  My immediate family all had it..same thing..all ages, some had zero symptoms.  

[PTC DAWG]

41 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

Let's face it right now the vaccination requirement is a critical marketing tool for their customer base and it helps them with attracting our revenue.  I could see them putting a booster requirement in place soon.  But probably dropping masks on board as Omicron rapidly declines in the next month or so.

This, the Wife and I need to start looking around for the booster shot, it may be required when we sail late March.  

[Julma]

15 hours ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

What will be most interesting to see is if the CDC releases reported covid cases on board from 12/29 to 1/12.  They should be released on Friday if consistent with before.

I would expect Celebrity to continue doing exactly what they are doing today until this wave passes.

The new report from the CDC should certainly change the color to orange or red on some ships.  Hard to see 5000+ cases in late December and supposedly only a couple ships over .1%.  That would mean 4 cases on a ship with 4000 people.   Hmmmm.

The color codes are somewhat misleading.  CDC ranks - Green - Orange - Yellow - Red.  Past history and logic would be Green - Yellow - Orange - Red.   So to go from yellow to orange would be a good thing.

[cruisefam38]

1 hour ago, Julma said:

Past history and logic

yes, indeed.

[bucfan2]

3 hours ago, TeeRick said:

But probably dropping masks on board as Omicron rapidly declines in the next month or so.

We're looking for masks to be dropped so we can rebook...hoping sooner than later.

Edited January 13, 2022 by bucfan2

[miaminative0853]

3 hours ago, cgolf1 said:

What I am interested in is if the testing requirements will change for boosted individuals pre cruise since the CDC doesn't seem to worry about us that much. We have purchased the tests through Celebrity, but if one fails we are pretty much screwed.

 

Our Walgreens doesn't offer the antigen test in WI and the PCR tests are flown to NC the night they are taken, so with the surge now I wouldn't expect to get the results in time to sail. Unfortunately their 24 hour rapid test is 'Rapid Diagnostic Test (ID NOW)'  which I don't believe meets Celebrity's guidelines. So we are kind of in a box here.

 

I really hope they don't drop the masking anytime soon. We even booked first class flights down, two across seating, and a hotel within walking distance of port ot minimize our risk.

I dont know where you are in WI but the approved antigen test is widely available in Walgreens in the Milwaukee area. Used it a few months ago to get into The Bahamas and had a back-up appt for our 1/9 Edge cruise in case Celebrity telehealth tests did not arrive in time (which they did). I will say we had to make the appointments six days in advance at Walgreens due to high demand.

 

Also the Abbott Binax Rapid ID NOW test, which you take through the Walgreens drive-thru IS accepted by Celebrity. Just not the self-administered HOME version.

[phoenix_dream]

18 hours ago, RICCruisers said:

This makes my decision easier. I will be canceling my cruise on 1/24. 

Your choice, but just because safety measures are then voluntary it does not mean Celebrity will change their procedures, at least for now. They do not want cases to start skyrocketing and their PR go down the tubes.  I am confident, but of course can’t prove, that they will maintain procedures at least until Omicron ebbs substantially.

[cgolf1]

1 hour ago, miaminative0853 said:

I dont know where you are in WI but the approved antigen test is widely available in Walgreens in the Milwaukee area. Used it a few months ago to get into The Bahamas and had a back-up appt for our 1/9 Edge cruise in case Celebrity telehealth tests did not arrive in time (which they did). I will say we had to make the appointments six days in advance at Walgreens due to high demand.

 

Also the Abbott Binax Rapid ID NOW test, which you take through the Walgreens drive-thru IS accepted by Celebrity. Just not the self-administered HOME version.

 

As of last night when my wife looked only the Rapid Id now test was available which is what we will setup as our backup tests. They didn't show any of the rapid antigen tests apts being available.

 

Also when Celebrity says 2 days before the cruise that means we could do the at home telemed test at 8 or 9 and have afternoon apts with walgreens and cancel those if all goes well, correct? My wife has this fear that they mean exactly 48 hours:) The website says 2 days before so the above is my plan.