mjb1127

I agree with you on this. I also believe that our governor did overreach on this and I am not happy about it. I would rather it not be in place, and like you said, allow passengers to choose what type of cruise to go on.

See, I disagree for the exact reason you just gave. This is a free market and if FL's law didn't block it, NCL could require proof of vaccination while RCL and Carnival don't. Consumers have choice here, they can choose to sail on a fully vaccinated sailing or one that's mixed vax'ed / unvax'ed. Market will speak, all businesses get to operate and see who has the more desirable / profitable option.
Yes, I'm aware that prior to this law going into effect that RCL was also going to have only fully vax'ed sailings in FL as well. But Carnival notably wasn't, and was proudly marketing that fact. So even then you still had a free-market system working. But it was never given a chance to play out because Florida's governor decided he knew better, and IMO overreached badly with this blanket law that impacts every business.
 

I understand the complexity and fluidity of the situation but I do not believe that Royal should have waited less than 30 days from the earliest July sailing to announce. 
 
I never thought Royal should have cancelled July sailings 2 months ago. I thought that they should have cancelled mid-May. Canceling people’s sailings under a 30 day mark and then announcing test cruises sending TAs in chaos while people still believed that they would sail somehow on a ship before test cruise is not acceptable and I’m sorry shows a disregard for the peripheral plans that needed to be cancelled and changed in a summer with higher demand for travel. Prices rose for alternate options while Royal delayed announcements and had customer service reps lie to their customers especially on last Thursday when Bayley announced tear sailings. 
 
I appreciate you pointing out other side and I agree with you to the extent of the timing of the July testing and cancellation announcements. It could/should have been handled much better. 

It's scenarios like these that led me to cancel everything several months ago, grit my teeth and wait it all out until cruising fully resumes. It relegated me to a couple of land vacations. It could be a LOT worse, and I am grateful for the opportunities I have and the memories of being on RC ships. Ultimately, it is helping me save some money for when the right situation comes along even if it pushes against my addiction to certainty. I will say that if Royal brokers an insurance transaction even if they aren't an agent, that they should go to bat on those refunds. They should insist n that with those carriers.

After months, and months, and months of phonecalls - being assured each time that July 1 would be full-steam ahead, they cancel my multi-postponed cruise for July on Oasis.  I will never book RCI again.  
I understand cancelling 8-10 weeks out, but a month?!?! With almost every other reasonable vacation option booked for July - just unacceptable.  The 125% credit is a joke - as most folks who book cruises are using vacation time that their employer won't just take back and trade for a later date.  

But how many of these families would be willing to risk their children on a ship with a mix of vaccinated and unvaccinated persons. I think Fain's previous statements encouraged families that vaccinations for everyone eligible would be required and therefore would make the environment safer. I know several families that are now seriously re-considering going on their cruise this summer, solely because of this. 
At the end of the day, Royal has painted themselves into a no-win scenario. Their question now is, which decision costs them less current and future passengers.

Yup.. that's why A) I won't go on a cruise in which vaccinations aren't required for everyone eligible and B) I will quarantine when I get home for 14 days. (I work from home, so that makes it doable, but with family w/pre-existing conditions, and weak immune systems, that's what I have to do). 

My only concern would be several unvaccinated passengers testing positive and ruining the cruise for everybody else. 
 

This is a slippery slope in differentiating between certain passengers. Yes, they do it with C&A Status, but unless it's the Diamond/Suite lounge, or the Suite/Pinnacle Sun Deck, when has anyone "checked ID"? I do think Royal has given themselves an out (I'll call it kicking the proverbial protocol can down the pier), by saying protocols for sailings other than Adventure would be released at a later date.  
I've racked my brain, and I really only see 2 potential generalized scenarios; 
1) Identify Vaccinated guests (special wristband/seapass card, etc.) and allow them free roam of the ship (similar to Adventure's rules). Unvaccinated/Unverified passengers would have to submit to stringent protocols, similar to Quantum. There would have to be areas where Unvaccinated/Unverified passengers would not be permitted, in order to allow the vaccinated passengers to enjoy their cruise. (the problems here, are numerous and obvious)
2) Royal decides not to differentiate between vaccinated and unvaccinated/unverified guests ON BOARD. Those that did not provide proof of vaccination, would have to still be tested at boarding, etc.) but on board, everyone goes by some form of the Quantum/Royal Promise style protocols (Masks everywhere, physical distancing, limited hours, etc.) This option would be much easier to enforce. But I can definitely see Vaccinated persons be equally upset with this option. 
Royal knows they have passionate loyalists on both sides, and they're trying to find a middle ground based on the CDC, DeSantis and their own Healthy Sail Panel. I don't envy they're choices, and unfortunately, no matter what they finally end up deciding to do, they're going to lose loyal passengers. I truly hope they get this right. 

I second your post, I don't believe we are in the minority of family's  with children in this age bracket. I don't begrudge the companies protocols to sail or others comfort regarding sailing. We will be asking for refunds moving forward also. I would never have previously booked if I was aware of the stipulations. Land based vacations until this works itself out, life is good if this is my most pressing decision..Humm, where will I vacation? I think I am blessed, trying not to let this get me down. Their product, their rules. 

One thing I find pretty bizarre is the concept of requiring test cruises FOR EVERY INDIVIDUAL SHIP.
Seems to me if a cruise line can successfully complete one or two test cruises in total, it proves that the protocols employed are working correctly and that the cruise line is good to get the regular sailings out to sea.

My understanding is that Royal is requiring all eligible passengers to be vaccinated, right? Maybe they are doing the test cruises to make sure that children under 12 can cruise, without having to limit them to less than 5% of the passengers?  (The rule is still that 95% of passengers need to be vaccinated in order to avoid test cruises, right?) I'm thinking that an Oasis class ship over the summer, even at 50% capacity, could have more than 5% (150-ish) of its passengers made up of children under 12.
I also agree with the idea that they are testing all the new procedures that will be put in place when sailing resumes.
I'm just happy that there seems to be bits of positive news every day!

If anything I could see test voyages a great way to knock the rust off guest operations. Working sit down meal services with wait staff and kitchen staff needing to be on pace. Housekeeping cleaning staterooms on a daily basis plus end of voyage cleaning and change over. Laundry services getting use to guest laundry volume. True 10% of expected capacity can be a small number. Just remember 10% is the minimum don't think any restrictions were made for a maximum number of volunteers.
Plus getting the test voyages out of the way it opens up the opportunity to be flexible down the road on the vaccination front. Worst case if the certificate paperwork is resubmitted using vaccination numbers in place of test voyage(s).

Test cruises are a CYA.  Cruise lines would be nuts not to do them because you never know how things will change in the future.

Just my $0.02 — With the change in vaccination policy plus the speculation of sailings not starting until August, I’m wagering that Royal is going to cancel all sailings that will be requiring vaccinations (and most likely reduced capacity, at least in the beginning), and replace them with new itineraries or direct replacements for the old ones.
This is part of why I am waiting to use my FCC, rather than booking Freedom for October now. I have a sneaking suspicion that I did, it would be canceled and substituted with something else in a matter of a couple of weeks.

We will join you, I'm happy with the itinerary.
My other take is it is going to be difficult for the CDC to not cooperate when there was a unanimous vote from both houses of congress.  Don't believe for one minute that any government agency does not take into consideration the political landscape.

I think that based on All cruise lines starting to sail from Seattle this season at the same time, all with fully vaccinated passenger loads, there are things going on between cruise lines and CDC that none of us are privy to.

And before we paid the deposit on our upcoming Adventure sailing, our travel agent let us know that being vaccinated was a requirement.  
 
Yet another reason for a good travel agent 

Vegas doesn’t need the blessing of the CDC to open back up. 
 
In addition, a few dozen cases in Vegas will be no big deal.  A few cases on a cruise ship will be a catastrophe. 

There are plenty of vacation spots all over the world with vaccine requirements. 

The state already said they aren't getting involved in the CDC-required plans

Royal's travel agent call is this week.. I think they will be making a very similar announcement to travel agents that Celebrity did..  I also think during the travel agent call this week they will make the official announcement of when they will be able to sail from the USA. I am excited and I hope they will start sailing from USA in July!!! 

I think they are choosing this route to get back to cruising fast without test cruises.
They can also require a vaccine in Washington for the Alaska cruises without requiring one for Florida. Each ship can be different.

I would add to that that failure to obey the instructions of a member of the flight crew is a federal crime. It does get prosecuted and will also get you banned for life from whatever airline you are on.
While I agree that masks for vaccinated people shouldn't be required, an airplane is not the place for civil disobedience.

That's one thing in a store where the best they can do is ban you from that store.  
It's another matter on a plane where it actually breaks a law with all that goes along with breaking laws.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/10/travel/faa-unruly-airline-passenger-fines.html#:~:text=Four people are facing nearly,the skies with the easing
Four people are facing nearly $70,000 in civil fines for clashing with airline crews over mask requirements and other safety instructions on recent flights, part of what the Federal Aviation Administration called a “disturbing increase” in the number of unruly passengers who have returned to the skies with the easing of pandemic restrictions.