Azamara Dropping All Covid Requirements for European & Caribbean Cruises

[JT1962]

Effective Dec 1, 2022, Covid tests or proof of Covid vaccine will no longer be required for all passengers on most Azamara cruises.

 

https://cruiseradio.net/azamara-cruises-drops-testing-vaccine-mandate-all-guests/

[lisiamc]

I will get the next booster as soon as it’s offered, but they seem to be rolling out at different speeds in different countries. It’s a bit less stress for me to not have to chase a booster date.

[Host Jazzbeau]

There is apparently a pause in availability of booster shots in the US at present.  We got this email from a local pharmacy (which has been doing a big business in Covid shots) today:

 

The monovalent vaccines (current vaccines) are NO LONGER authorized for boosters. If you are intending to receive the boosters, please be patient and await our communication for when the NEW bivalent vaccines are available. We are anticipating late September. 

 

[andrcan]

5 hours ago, JT1962 said:

Effective Dec 1, 2022, Covid tests or proof of Covid vaccine will no longer be required for all passengers on most Azamara cruises.

 

https://cruiseradio.net/azamara-cruises-drops-testing-vaccine-mandate-all-guests/

This is only for the cruises in Europe and in the Caribbean. In December, only one ship - Onward - will be in the Caribbean, others will be in the “all vaccinated zone”. Sounds like Azamara is gonna run an experiment on Onward… and we will be their guinea pigs as we happen to have booked their December Caribbean cruise 👍

[pirokp]

We are on the Onward Lisbon-Miami (Nov. 20th) stopping in Bermuda enroute.  Still a vax required cruise. Because Azamara no longer requires testing, I will wager they will avoid Bermuda again this year due to Bermuda's strict COVID rules.  Please-not St. Thomas again instead.

 

Andrcan-Sorry about you being the experiment.  

 

 

[BuckGood]

15 hours ago, andrcan said:

This is only for the cruises in Europe and in the Caribbean. In December, only one ship - Onward - will be in the Caribbean, others will be in the “all vaccinated zone”. Sounds like Azamara is gonna run an experiment on Onward… and we will be their guinea pigs as we happen to have booked their December Caribbean cruise 👍

We are on the Onward December 1st!

[andrcan]

12 minutes ago, BuckGood said:

We are on the Onward December 1st!

Ok you go first!🫡

[BuckGood]

4 minutes ago, andrcan said:

Ok you go first!🫡

We will get the latest booster that was just approved!

[andrcan]

1 minute ago, BuckGood said:

We will get the latest booster that was just approved!

Yes, same with us - hope to get it in October some time.

[tgg]

We're booked on two Onward  cruises leaving from Miami in December. The email from Azamara today says that Azamara doesn't require a negative Covid test result to board. 

 

Azamara Testing Requirements

• Prior to Embarkation: Azamara no longer requires proof of a negative COVID-19 test prior to embarkation, with the exception of some ports where embarkation testing is still a requirement. To view those ports where testing is required, please click here.

 

HOWEVER if you follow the "click here" link, the Port of Miami is listed as requiring a negative Covid test.

 

Is this a mistake?

[Scots Caz]

1 hour ago, tgg said:

 

HOWEVER if you follow the "click here" link, the Port of Miami is listed as requiring a negative Covid test.

 

Is this a mistake?

the Miami requiring a test is under the heading "OUR CURRENT PROTOCOLS' expect the current protocols table to change 1st December

[PirateWife]

I was on the first Azamara sailing that negative tests were no longer required and 10% of the passengers got COVID. I don't want to be on another experiment with my December Caribbean cruise but I have already paid for it. Hopefully, passengers will be vaccinated to protect themselves and others.

We had St. Thomas substituted for Bermuda on our November cruise. St. Thomas was a waste of time.

[Benthayer Gonbak]

13 hours ago, tgg said:

We're booked on two Onward  cruises leaving from Miami in December. The email from Azamara today says that Azamara doesn't require a negative Covid test result to board. 

 

Azamara Testing Requirements

• Prior to Embarkation: Azamara no longer requires proof of a negative COVID-19 test prior to embarkation, with the exception of some ports where embarkation testing is still a requirement. To view those ports where testing is required, please click here.

 

HOWEVER if you follow the "click here" link, the Port of Miami is listed as requiring a negative Covid test.

 

Is this a mistake?

 

Loveit! 

[ECCruise]

On 9/1/2022 at 6:38 PM, Host Jazzbeau said:

There is apparently a pause in availability of booster shots in the US at present.  We got this email from a local pharmacy (which has been doing a big business in Covid shots) today:

 

The monovalent vaccines (current vaccines) are NO LONGER authorized for boosters. If you are intending to receive the boosters, please be patient and await our communication for when the NEW bivalent vaccines are available. We are anticipating late September. 

 

The bivalent vaccines are available now.  We have appointments for Wednesday morning at our local Walgreens. 

[uktog]

UK boosters you are called by the authorities when they assess you are a priority for a booster. You have no say what booster you get. There is not yet enough supplies of Bivalent vaccine so it’s allocated on a needs base rather than who can go where/pay etc. At least all we have to do is wait for our appointment letter and see

So if cruising with Brits they may or may not have had a 4th booster and if they have it it may or may not be bivalent. 

[Grandma Cruising]

21 minutes ago, uktog said:

UK boosters you are called by the authorities when they assess you are a priority for a booster. You have no say what booster you get. There is not yet enough supplies of Bivalent vaccine so it’s allocated on a needs base rather than who can go where/pay etc. At least all we have to do is wait for our appointment letter and see

So if cruising with Brits they may or may not have had a 4th booster and if they have it it may or may not be bivalent. 

Our GP has texted us to say we will have our 5th vaccine (4th booster) early in October along its our annual flu shot.

[uktog]

We have ours in two weeks time. We are called early because our baby granddaughter is so vulnerable but will probably have to return for our flu vaccination in October 

Edited September 3, 2022 by uktog

[boxman52]

 It is difficult to reconcile this statement with allowing people onboard with no vaccine and no test result.

Carol Cabezas. “Azamara continues to implement the highest safety measures in accordance with the local health authorities and the current positive direction of the travel industry"

Its just logical to say the highest standard would be all tested and all vaccinated.

Wouldn't it be more honest to say we have carried out a risk assessment and taken advice and believe the current risk level allows us to do this.

They are doing it to gain more passengers not because its safer. It cannot be the highest levels.

We are on the Miami cruise over the holiday and whilst this will not stop us and it might make no difference just some honesty would be appreciated. 

[d9704011]

9 minutes ago, boxman52 said:

 It is difficult to reconcile this statement with allowing people onboard with no vaccine and no test result.

Carol Cabezas. “Azamara continues to implement the highest safety measures in accordance with the local health authorities and the current positive direction of the travel industry"

Its just logical to say the highest standard would be all tested and all vaccinated.

Wouldn't it be more honest to say we have carried out a risk assessment and taken advice and believe the current risk level allows us to do this.

They are doing it to gain more passengers not because its safer. It cannot be the highest levels.

We are on the Miami cruise over the holiday and whilst this will not stop us and it might make no difference just some honesty would be appreciated. 

You're only supposed to read as far as it takes to satisfy any pre-conceived mindset you have.  After that, don't think too hard about things.

[boxman52]

11 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

You're only supposed to read as far as it takes to satisfy any pre-conceived mindset you have.  After that, don't think too hard about things.

I fully understand that things need to get back to normal for us and for businesses, I am all in favour of that.

Its just the spin that gets me down. 

I'd rather be treated like an adult!

[federalexpress]

34 minutes ago, boxman52 said:

 It is difficult to reconcile this statement with allowing people onboard with no vaccine and no test result.

Carol Cabezas. “Azamara continues to implement the highest safety measures in accordance with the local health authorities and the current positive direction of the travel industry"

Its just logical to say the highest standard would be all tested and all vaccinated.

Wouldn't it be more honest to say we have carried out a risk assessment and taken advice and believe the current risk level allows us to do this.

They are doing it to gain more passengers not because its safer. It cannot be the highest levels.

We are on the Miami cruise over the holiday and whilst this will not stop us and it might make no difference just some honesty would be appreciated. 

 

I suppose if one was being pedantic, one might argue that these are indeed the highest standards, where they are decided upon 'in accordance with' local Health authorities (who are downgrading standards) and the positive direction of the travel industry, that 'direction' being to drop safeguards as part of returning to normal.

 

Obviously different people will have differing views on the soundness of such an approach. Personally I am broadly in favour of normalisation as part of sensible risk management but maybe could argue that the unique qualities of a cruise could justify higher safeguards than in normal life.

 

Of course, if you dig deep enough, logic can be shredded at every turn. Personally I'd much sooner have next to me an unvaccinated person who had Covid in the past 4 weeks than someone who was vaccinated 9 months ago. And, one step further, the best person might be someone testing positive at boarding but symptom free, in other words, they might have had a very recent vax or more likely infection and still have enough traces to test positive but they are, I think, the least likely to get infected from that point and thus infect me. It's a complicated we we weave...

[harrodsfan]

On 9/6/2022 at 5:13 AM, federalexpress said:

 

I suppose if one was being pedantic, one might argue that these are indeed the highest standards, where they are decided upon 'in accordance with' local Health authorities (who are downgrading standards) and the positive direction of the travel industry, that 'direction' being to drop safeguards as part of returning to normal.

 

Obviously different people will have differing views on the soundness of such an approach. Personally I am broadly in favour of normalisation as part of sensible risk management but maybe could argue that the unique qualities of a cruise could justify higher safeguards than in normal life.

 

Of course, if you dig deep enough, logic can be shredded at every turn. Personally I'd much sooner have next to me an unvaccinated person who had Covid in the past 4 weeks than someone who was vaccinated 9 months ago. And, one step further, the best person might be someone testing positive at boarding but symptom free, in other words, they might have had a very recent vax or more likely infection and still have enough traces to test positive but they are, I think, the least likely to get infected from that point and thus infect me. It's a complicated we we weave...

Well I was the vaccinated person who had Covid three weeks before the cruise. A very mild case. Kept testing positive for 16 days even though I had no symptoms and felt fine. Almost didn’t get to go on the cruise. I was in constant communication with Azamara. My “ case” and the situation gave them a real life example of the vicissitudes of testing. Three days after we got on the boat Azamara emailed me to tell me,just before it was announced,  that they were dropping the testing for vaccinated and boosted individuals. As you said… someone who had recently had Covid would probably be the safest passenger to have. 

[federalexpress]

51 minutes ago, harrodsfan said:

Well I was the vaccinated person who had Covid three weeks before the cruise. A very mild case. Kept testing positive for 16 days even though I had no symptoms and felt fine. Almost didn’t get to go on the cruise. I was in constant communication with Azamara. My “ case” and the situation gave them a real life example of the vicissitudes of testing. Three days after we got on the boat Azamara emailed me to tell me,just before it was announced,  that they were dropping the testing for vaccinated and boosted individuals. As you said… someone who had recently had Covid would probably be the safest passenger to have. 

 

Yes you are probably correct in being just about the safest person onboard!

 

I've had some friends who have tested positive for close to that long, albeit not quite 16 days. In my own case, it was positive for 10 days, although the last day or so was a line so faint you could barely see it. My symptoms were in any case mild and had pretty much ceased after 5 days.

[Piaa]

On 9/2/2022 at 2:55 PM, PirateWife said:

I was on the first Azamara sailing that negative tests were no longer required and 10% of the passengers got COVID. I don't want to be on another experiment with my December Caribbean cruise but I have already paid for it. Hopefully, passengers will be vaccinated to protect themselves and others.

We had St. Thomas substituted for Bermuda on our November cruise. St. Thomas was a waste of time.

 

Lots of hidden gems in St Thomas you just need to post for suggestions but you should have taken the ferry to St John - one of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean (if not the most) 2/3 National Park, fabulous beaches, no vending on the beaches, no hotels on the beaches 💕

[malony33]

On 9/1/2022 at 7:59 PM, pirokp said:

We are on the Onward Lisbon-Miami (Nov. 20th) stopping in Bermuda enroute.  Still a vax required cruise. Because Azamara no longer requires testing, I will wager they will avoid Bermuda again this year due to Bermuda's strict COVID rules.  Please-not St. Thomas again instead.

 

Andrcan-Sorry about you being the experiment.