non-vaxxed cruising in January

[pdmlynek]

On 8/17/2022 at 7:41 PM, sweetdardar said:

T hank you. Thats why I wanted to know if anyone else non-vaxxed has booked and received this email. 

You  have to be careful with that advice.  That looks like it was related to vaccines addressing Covid-19, and not the more common problems like Hepatitis A, Rubella, Mumps, Hepatitis B, Polio, Rotavirus, Measles, Tetanus, Diphtheria, Dengue fever, Yellow Fever, etc.  

 

Although everyone is concentrated on Covid-19, one needs to know the rules for the other diseases.

[Warbird]

I just made a reservation for a cruise with NCL from Seattle to Miami with no vaccination required.  I realize the itinerary isn't quite the same, but according to another online travel website you should be good to go.  They are offering the very same Encore cruise that you talk about.   

[packercruising]

6 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Being vaxxed will maximize your opportunities to cruise. The last thing you need is to be denied boarding because you didn’t read the NCL web site requirements. Remember, the people you are calling at NCL are sub minimum wage call center people who are reading exactly the same thing you see on the website and trying to interpret for you.  Follow the rules for The Bahamas. 
 

And understand if you have any other testing requirements like the little kids. 

Non-vaxxers are fully aware of the ramifications on not getting the shot. We check NCL on a pretty much daily basic. We watch cruising video chats on YouTube. We have cancelled 3 cruises we had booked for this year and are resigned to not cruise again until this is settled. 

[packercruising]

7 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

If grand cayman remains a hold out I would expect cruise ships to just eliminate that stop rather than have special embarkation rules for one island. 

I really  hope that is true!

[ChiefMateJRK]

13 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Remember, the people you are calling at NCL are sub minimum wage call center people who are reading exactly the same thing you see on the website and trying to interpret for you.

So you've now regressed from disparaging hard working people making minimum wage to those who are "sub minimum wage?"   Is there even such a thing as that?  Why do you have to continually insult the hard working folks who answer the NCL phones.  I find the vast majority to be very pleasant and very helpful.  

Edited August 20, 2022 by ChiefMateJRK

[BirdTravels]

7 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

So you've now regressed from disparaging hard working people making minimum wage to those who are "sub minimum wage?"   Is there even such a thing as that?  Why do you have to continually insult the hard working folks who answer the NCL phones.  I find the vast majority to be very pleasant and very helpful.  

I am saying that for effect. I mean no disrespect. Stating a fact. People constantly complain that they get different answers when they call the call center (which is the primary. Point here). The call center personnel can only “google” their call center system and read a scripted response. The worst one are those who don’t “google” and shoot from the hip. 
 

We just got off a cruise. One night, we sat next to a NCL personal cruise consultant at the next table. The PCC bragged that they had been a PCC for 5 years that they were a senior consultant. But this was the first time they had been on a cruise ship and were anxious to learn/see first hand what their clients were asking/talking about. 

Edited August 20, 2022 by BirdTravels

[bookbabe]

19 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

Grand Caymen may hold out. There is a sustainable movement for the island that wants to limit cruise ships anyway. They even stopped the pier being built to accommodate cruises. Plus, this is one of the only islands in the Caribbean that does not need cruise revenue. 
 

If grand cayman remains a hold out I would expect cruise ships to just eliminate that stop rather than have special embarkation rules for one island. 

 

19 hours ago, deliver42 said:

As of today the only island requiring vaccinations is Grand Cayman. St Kitts eliminated it yesterday.

 

22 hours ago, packercruising said:

Love your Avatar. Grand Caymans is another one and that is on our itinerary.

 

https://www.caymancompass.com/2022/08/19/cayman-lifts-more-covid-travel-restrictions/

 

Edited August 20, 2022 by bookbabe

[BermudaBound2014]

@bookbabe... thanks for the link :). 

 

For those who don't click, here is the recap. 

 

As of August 24th, Grand Cayman is wide open!! 

 

[Georgia_Peaches]

On 8/19/2022 at 2:05 PM, BermudaBound2014 said:

Grand Caymen may hold out. There is a sustainable movement for the island that wants to limit cruise ships anyway. They even stopped the pier being built to accommodate cruises. Plus, this is one of the only islands in the Caribbean that does not need cruise revenue. 
 

If grand cayman remains a hold out I would expect cruise ships to just eliminate that stop rather than have special embarkation rules for one island. 

My take, cut GC out of cruise itineraries altogether. It’s a tender port, last time I was there they didn’t take USD, and a total pain in the butt anyway. I generally avoid a cruise that includes a stop there or at the very least, look at it a another sea day where we just hang out on the ship. 

Edited August 21, 2022 by Georgia_Peaches

[BermudaBound2014]

Just now, Georgia_Peaches said:

My take, cut GC out of cruise itineraries altogether. It’s a tender port, last time I was there they didn’t take USD, and a total pain in the butt anyway. I generally avoid a cruise that includes a stop here or at the very least, look at it a another sea day where we just hang out on the ship. 

 

Grand Cayman open up wide today! They no longer have any restrictions (see #33) 🙂 🙂 🙂 

[Georgia_Peaches]

1 minute ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

Grand Cayman open up wide today! They no longer have any restrictions (see #33) 🙂 🙂 🙂 

I just read your post. Good news all around. I still remain a non fan of GC. Just never had much fun there. But again, I love the direction things are moving in. It makes me feel like we are finally getting back to cruising normalcy. 

[BermudaBound2014]

1 minute ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

I just read your post. Good news all around. I still remain a non fan of GC. Just never had much fun there. But again, I love the direction things are moving in. It makes me feel like we are finally getting back to cruising normalcy. 

 

I only know of three places with any restrictions remaining (Canada, Spain, and the Netherlands).

 

Someone please add to the list if there are any more I am unaware of, but I'm thinking that for the most part we are sliding into home plate!!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 

[packercruising]

We are going to stay on the ship anyway, as we have been there before and tendering is, indeed, a pain. But now we know we will be allowed on the ship. Awesome!

[bookbabe]

11 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

My take, cut GC out of cruise itineraries altogether. It’s a tender port, last time I was there they didn’t take USD, and a total pain in the butt anyway. I generally avoid a cruise that includes a stop there or at the very least, look at it a another sea day where we just hang out on the ship. 

Not sure where you were trying to use US dollars and got told no, but Cayman has a set conversion rate and uses US dollars everywhere.  We own property there and visit regularly, and have never had trouble using US dollars in any store, taxis, attractions, gas stations, restaurants, etc.  Most places even list both currencies on the bill as a convenience.

 

As for the tenders, yeah, tendering is a pain, but lots of ports have tenders.  We’ve had at least one tender port on almost every cruise we’ve taken in every region.  It is what it is.  I look at them as being a free water tour of the harbour area.  (Saw more ocean wildlife on the tenders in Cabo than we did on our paid whale watching tour in Alaska.  lol)  However, Cayman is revisiting the idea of floating piers for the cruise port, so maybe that will come to fruition and that issue will be solved.

[Georgia_Peaches]

9 minutes ago, bookbabe said:

Not sure where you were trying to use US dollars and got told no, but Cayman has a set conversion rate and uses US dollars everywhere.  We own property there and visit regularly, and have never had trouble using US dollars in any store, taxis, attractions, gas stations, restaurants, etc.  Most places even list both currencies on the bill as a convenience.

 

As for the tenders, yeah, tendering is a pain, but lots of ports have tenders.  We’ve had at least one tender port on almost every cruise we’ve taken in every region.  It is what it is.  I look at them as being a free water tour of the harbour area.  (Saw more ocean wildlife on the tenders in Cabo than we did on our paid whale watching tour in Alaska.  lol)  However, Cayman is revisiting the idea of floating piers for the cruise port, so maybe that will come to fruition and that issue will be solved.

That's good to know regarding currency.  DH and I secured a bike tour the last time we went to GC.  We finished the tour early and went to a beach bar to wait for our ride back to the boat.  The ride was taking a really long time (another story) and I began getting a little nervous that we would miss our last tender to the ship.  We asked the bar tender to call us a taxi and when it arrived we were told that they didn't take USD.  The taxi wasn't equipped with a credit card machine so we had to go to an ATM to get their currency.  It was a mess.  Side note...we were the last tender to the ship!  That was my one experience 5 years ago. 

Please pardon my lack of knowledge about acceptable currency in other venues and thank you for setting the record straight for other cruisers as I don't like giving bad intel on any port.

Edited August 21, 2022 by Georgia_Peaches

[bookbabe]

1 minute ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

That's good to know regarding currency.  DH and I secured a bike tour the last time we went to GC.  We finished the tour early and went to a beach bar to wait for our ride back to the boat.  The ride was taking a really long time (another story) and I began getting a little nervous that we would miss our last tender to the ship.  We asked the bar tender to call us a taxi and when it arrived we were told that they didn't take USD.  The taxi wasn't equipped with a credit card machine so we had to go to an ATM to get their currency.  It was a mess.  Side note...we were the last tender to the ship!  That was my one experience 5 years ago.  Please pardon my lack of knowledge about acceptable currency in other venues and thank you for setting the record straight for other cruisers as I don't like giving bad intel on any port.

That is very unusual about the taxi.  I am willing to bet he was not the regular driver, or even that maybe the bartender called a buddy rather than an actual taxi company.  In 20 years of taxis to/from the airport multiple times a year, we’ve never had a taxi that didn’t take USD.  In fact, even the taxi authority lists rates in USD on their app and website.  
https://www.caymantransport.ky/transportation-services/taxi

 

We’ve never had anyone on island refuse USD, ever, not once in over 20 years.  Not even kids selling lemonade or cookies outside the grocery store.  Even they can almost automatically convert between currencies, doing the math in their head.  ($20 US is $16 CI) The worst that happens is that you get your change in CI dollars.  Your experience was VERY unusual, so please don’t let it colour your view of the island.  It was not the norm by any stretch of the imagination.

[BermudaBound2014]

10 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

That's good to know regarding currency.  DH and I secured a bike tour the last time we went to GC.  We finished the tour early and went to a beach bar to wait for our ride back to the boat.  The ride was taking a really long time (another story) and I began getting a little nervous that we would miss our last tender to the ship.  We asked the bar tender to call us a taxi and when it arrived we were told that they didn't take USD.  The taxi wasn't equipped with a credit card machine so we had to go to an ATM to get their currency.  It was a mess.  Side note...we were the last tender to the ship!  That was my one experience 5 years ago. 

Please pardon my lack of knowledge about acceptable currency in other venues and thank you for setting the record straight for other cruisers as I don't like giving bad intel on any port.

 

This is such a mature response. We all make mistakes. I respect someone willing to admit when they have possibly given bad intel. I hope we cruise together one day :). 

[Georgia_Peaches]

4 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

This is such a mature response. We all make mistakes. I respect someone willing to admit when they have possibly given bad intel. I hope we cruise together one day :). 

I'm sure we would enjoy that very much!  Cheers 😀🍹!

[Southerngal410]

I work for a travel agency and am actually going on the exact same cruise as the OP. Non-vaxed are completely fine for the private island. It’s no issue. And if by some chance something changed even after final payment NCL would be forced to give your money back if you could not going bc of the vaccine requirement. 

[JohnBoy in NC]

Are you sure this would happen? (NCL refunding you if they change their vaxx policy). I have a few weeks to decide before making final payment for Jan cruise. 
 

thanks

[ggTexasGal]

53 minutes ago, JohnBoy in NC said:

Are you sure this would happen? (NCL refunding you if they change their vax policy). I have a few weeks to decide before making final payment for Jan cruise. 
 

thanks

NCL seems to be very strict that ALL criteria is met.  Therefore, pay extra special attention to "Cruise Cancelled by Guest"  (Also, the * note at the bottom of the page!)

https://www.ncl.com/refund-and-cancellation-policy-covid-19

[BermudaBound2014]

18 hours ago, Southerngal410 said:

I work for a travel agency and am actually going on the exact same cruise as the OP. Non-vaxed are completely fine for the private island. It’s no issue. And if by some chance something changed even after final payment NCL would be forced to give your money back if you could not going bc of the vaccine requirement. 

 

I don't believe this is quite accurate. Can you please show us that policy in writing? ANYWHERE? 

 

[BirdTravels]

18 hours ago, JohnBoy in NC said:

Are you sure this would happen? (NCL refunding you if they change their vaxx policy). I have a few weeks to decide before making final payment for Jan cruise. 
 

thanks

NCL is implementing the policies as agreed by the counties they call at. A lot of the employees on GSC come from Harbor Cay and other islands in the Bahamas. If the cruise ships start causing COVID outbreaks, the county’s policies wrt to the private island may change.
 

The policies for cancellation during the pandemic have not changed in a long while. NCL follows the policies. Lots of people as “what if” or speculate what the cruise line will do. Read the policy. 

Edited September 11, 2022 by BirdTravels

[JohnBoy in NC]

My question now (maybe I should pose in a separate new post) is at final payment, I agree to the cruise contract terms which reference the website Covid policy.  
 

What happens if NCL updates the policy to require say, original shots plus 2 boosters etc by the time of my sailing and thus changing the terms agreed to at final payment. Is someone eligible for a refund because they don’t agree to the NEW terms of requirements for embarkation that have now been changed?

[RocketMan275]

On 9/10/2022 at 3:20 PM, Southerngal410 said:

I work for a travel agency and am actually going on the exact same cruise as the OP. Non-vaxed are completely fine for the private island. It’s no issue. And if by some chance something changed even after final payment NCL would be forced to give your money back if you could not going bc of the vaccine requirement. 

If that's the case, then NCL should give your money back if they change to a 'masks required' policy.