What are the chances Carnival or any cruise line eliminates Vaccine mandates?

[goracer6]

Our family was hoping to cruise soon but the cruise vaccine mandates are making it nearly impossible to cruise with kids that have not had the shot. It seems that cruising is the only place I am aware of that still requires proof. Since restaurants, schools, hotels, airlines, and amusement parks do not require proof, do the cruise lines follow soon? 

Just seeing if anyone had any insight on the possibility of the cruise lines lifting the requirement. 

Cheers and sail on friends! 

[FruitStandaficionado]

Slim to none. They must prevent any repeat of the beginning of Covid. I expect it to continue indefinitely.

[cruisingguy007]

Considering they just extended the mask mandates for airlines until April 18th (and will probably again when that times come), slim to none. I think they stick around for all of 2022 and if fall/winter have no new variants, they will be gone in 2023. They are still moving forward with them here for schools (though they have essentially kicked the can until summer, when the school year is over) even as nearly every other restrictions are being lifted. The CDC still has the cruise lines under the thumb, they are really the ones to ask. The lines are doing as much as they are "allowed" essentially. Masks come back if they remove vaccine mandates and no one wants that. 

 

You may be able to sail with unvaccinated kids, depending on their age, see here: https://www.carnival.com/legal/covid-19-legal-notices/covid-19-guest-protocols

Edited March 10, 2022 by cruisingguy007

[ray98]

As long as the CDC is pushing it in the sailing agreement they will follow.

[tallnthensome]

Not for this year at least ....... There are enough people vaccinated or willing to get vaccinated to cruise at this point where they will keep it in place. The don't want to have any news of any unvaxinated person getting covid and dying on a cruise like before. 

[JMKreno]

9 minutes ago, tallnthensome said:

Not for this year at least ....... There are enough people vaccinated or willing to get vaccinated to cruise at this point where they will keep it in place. The don't want to have any news of any unvaxinated person getting covid and dying on a cruise like before. 

This is the point. It's not to necessarily reduce spread, that's why they test honestly. They require vaccinations to reduce the potential impact on their medical resources on board ship AND to reduce the risk of anyone who catches COVID from dying. That is where the vaccines are VERY successful in reducing death/severe illness and why the requirements will likely not go away anytime soon, if ever. Add to that over 64% of the US being fully vaccinated, that's 216 million people to draw from, and the numbers are even higher internationally in many places which produce a lot of revenue for cruise lines. They have a pretty decent sized market to draw from (much larger than the unvaxxed market) domestically and internationally and the number grows daily (even if slowly in the US). 

Edited March 10, 2022 by JMKreno

[Raysgirl]

I think the ports of call also play a big factor in this decision.  Most will not allow unvax passenger get off the ship.   So until the ports have relaxed their guidelines I do not see it changing.

 

[Joe817]

4 minutes ago, Raysgirl said:

I think the ports of call also play a big factor in this decision.  Most will not allow unvax passenger get off the ship.   So until the ports have relaxed their guidelines I do not see it changing.

 

I agree totally. Our vaccine rate here in the U.S. is pretty high, but the ports & countries that the cruise lines sail to do not have the vaccine rate that we do. And they are the one's that's making the call. 

 

IMHO, now's not the time to try to sail with unvaxed family & friends. 

[cruisin from vegas]

Hopefully ,  not for a very long time 

[keels81]

During his Q & Awesome yesterday on the Breeze, Cookie said the crew expects things like muster and crew masking and crew testing to go on for another 12 months, so I wouldn’t expect any sudden changes before the end of the year.

[famof4togo]

They will do away with mandatory testing first and we don't even have a projected date for that...so it'll be a while before they do away with the vaccine requirement.  Now I can see testing going away within the year IMO.

[ober134]

Its really not up to Carnival. They must comply with CDC in order to stay operating.

[pe4all]

7 minutes ago, famof4togo said:

They will do away with mandatory testing first and we don't even have a projected date for that...so it'll be a while before they do away with the vaccine requirement.  Now I can see testing going away within the year IMO.

I think this is totally what will happen.  Testing will go first.  Many people aren't even getting tested anymore, which is why covid stats are going down.  

[elcuchio24]

I dont agree with the vaccination mandates....that being said, I think chances are a lot higher that mask mandates/testing mandates drop way before vaccination mandates do. We have one child that won't be eligible for vaccination until August so have all our cruises booked for the fall.  We'll see!

[Retiredmedic]

4 hours ago, FruitStandaficionado said:

Slim to none. They must prevent any repeat of the beginning of Covid. I expect it to continue indefinitely.

Expect what indefinitely? Vast majority of Americans are not going to run out and get an annual Covid booster shot. More so after the Omicron variant where lot's of people that were boosted came down with it. COVID is here forever, it is never going away. It is endemic like the flu. It can never go away since it can jump from humans to animals and back again. 

[RCLcruiser2012]

5 hours ago, goracer6 said:

Our family was hoping to cruise soon but the cruise vaccine mandates are making it nearly impossible to cruise with kids that have not had the shot. It seems that cruising is the only place I am aware of that still requires proof. Since restaurants, schools, hotels, airlines, and amusement parks do not require proof, do the cruise lines follow soon? 

Just seeing if anyone had any insight on the possibility of the cruise lines lifting the requirement. 

Cheers and sail on friends! 

I hear you!! We have been on 8 or so cruises and I miss cruising SO much. I wish we would know when the vax mandate will stop but I don't see that happening anytime soon. :( Too bad we can't just test prior and call it a day! 

[cruisingguy007]

3 hours ago, famof4togo said:

They will do away with mandatory testing first and we don't even have a projected date for that...so it'll be a while before they do away with the vaccine requirement.  Now I can see testing going away within the year IMO.

 

I agree with this. Testing will be gone long before vaccine is lifted. It already is mostly, cruising is once again, the last to see relief. At least things are moving in the right direction finally. 

[TNcruising02]

Sadly, I don't think the vaccination requirement will go away this year.  I have relatives with unvaccinated kids and they know that cruising just isn't an option for them at this time.  Their kids have had covid and they aren't planning on vaccinating them.

The testing makes the most sense for keeping covid off of the ships since vaccinated people can get covid and spread it.  It would make much more sense for vaccination requirements to go away before testing.  Just  test everyone before boarding.  

The segregation of vaccinated and unvaccinated doesn't stop the spread.  Testing stops the spread. 

Edited March 10, 2022 by TNcruising02

[cruisingguy007]

2 hours ago, Retiredmedic said:

Expect what indefinitely? Vast majority of Americans are not going to run out and get an annual Covid booster shot. More so after the Omicron variant where lot's of people that were boosted came down with it. COVID is here forever, it is never going away. It is endemic like the flu. It can never go away since it can jump from humans to animals and back again. 

 

As long as there is efficacy in reducing serious outcomes, as demonstrated by hospitalization ICU admissions of vaccinated vs not, the CDC probably won't let up. Especially, if another serious variant pops up. Even if the lines wanted to relent (which I'm sure some do, more $$), it would revert back to common transportation carrier status and mask and other oversight that comes with it. Lines are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Keeping their distinction and benefits is better for everyone (the lines and passengers) right now. It's getting better slowly. Folks can argue about it all day but under the preview of health, executive branch autonomy and transportation oversight, the CDC will call the shots until they don't. Hemming and hawing around the facts and/or personal feelings aren't going to change anything, it is what it is.     

[firefly333]

I just want the testing to go away. I'm vaxxed and boosted so idk about anything but having to get tested. Its affecting my bookings as I'm afraid to book b2b 2 different cruiselines until it's gone.

[urbanhawk]

I thought Carnival is having the same provisions thru 2022, as they had in 2021. . If this is the case, I don't think things will change this year, in re: to  to the vaccines.

[awhitleycrew]

I've been wondering when the vaccine requirement as well as testing will end myself.  Everyone in my family is vaccinated and most of us boosted as well.  We have a cruise at the end of June and I dread the testing ahead of time.  I've actually cancelled a couple of cruises due to testing and masks being required (too much stress with a lot of moving parts that I just didn't want to deal with). 

The issue we keep running into with vaccines is that my 16 year old daughter has had a hard time bringing a friend along because of parents who won't let their kid get vaccinated.  These are 16 and 17 year old friends who would get the vaccine if it was up to them but without parental approval they can't.  She did find a friend that has been vaccinated thank goodness (keeps her better entertained haha). 

I am a teacher who was one of the first in my area to get vaccinated, have been boosted, and knock on wood have not caught COVID yet (that I know of). My daughter, had COVID last year as a 15 year old, got the vaccine as soon as she turned 16, and got the Omnicron variant in January of this year.  She just  can't seem to get away from it! hahaha

Sorry that was so long......I'm just so tired of COVID. UGh.  As we all are I know!!

[Thenagers]

I understand you are frustrated but MOST countries cruises go to require vaccines.  This is an international issue.  It is great that the US protects your freedoms but it means little when you want to travel internationally. I think staying in the US is best for those unable or unwilling to vaccinate.  This will not stop on cruises until the ports they are going to allow it. Nothing the CDC or US can do. Some cruise lines actually started that way last  summer but were shut down hard by the Bahamas.  They could not even dock at thier own private islands because they are part of the bahamas.  

Edited March 11, 2022 by Thenagers

[Stick93]

11 hours ago, goracer6 said:

Our family was hoping to cruise soon but the cruise vaccine mandates are making it nearly impossible to cruise with kids that have not had the shot. It seems that cruising is the only place I am aware of that still requires proof. Since restaurants, schools, hotels, airlines, and amusement parks do not require proof, do the cruise lines follow soon? 

Just seeing if anyone had any insight on the possibility of the cruise lines lifting the requirement. 

Cheers and sail on friends! 

Thanks for asking question. I am ready to book a family trip this summer but have two unvaccinated children who have had Covid and two who were vaccinated. I guess that will mean more rooms available for others! 
I have cruises with my wife because we are vaccinated and have enjoyed. Hope all who are able to go continue to enjoy, but I am cheering for this mandate to stop. 

[ledges1]

I have found testing to be very simple. The biggest problem is scheduling the test. CVS let's you put the swab up your nose. You can't stick it up your nose very far because it is a short swab. Maybe 1 inch at most. Not invasive at all. AFC used a long swab an they put it up your nose (way up, very invasive). Finally, with these different test methods, what is the accuracy? Is testing form over substance? You decide.