HBCcruiser

I don't know about you all but I've read this new program the CDC just released along with the many views posted here about it. As is most COVID related PH guidance that the CDC releases it is so complex that it defies understanding and clear concise guidance.
My only qualification to make the following observation is that I followed FL's civil suit that requested and then prevailed in court that the CDC's CSO be enjoined. I'm not a lawyer let alone skilled in interpreting maritime law. I did read carefully Judge Merryday's opinion in his ruling against the CDC. It was complicated, involved complex aspects of maritime law applicable to the cruise industry and slammed the CDC for exceeding it's powers to regulate cruise ship operations in US waters granted by congress.
Nothing has changed with respect to Congress's authority granted to HHS. Yet, here we are. Another set of what I believe are regulatory standards issued by the CDC that exceed their lawful authority. The problem lies in what I perceive are punitive measures directed at the cruise lines for not "opting in" to the voluntary program. I think it's pretty clear that the CDC is saying If you don't do this, then we will label you as this and that amounts to being punished.
You may recall that Judge Merryday (3rd District Court of Middle FL), after finding in favor of FL and granting a temporary injunction of the CSO, gave the CDC the opportunity to return to the court with an updated CSO. They tried but failed. The CSO they presented, according to Judge Merryday and the arguments of FL attorneys, applied restrictions (punishments) that amounted to law making that the CDC did not have the authority to impose. 
Another aspect that pissed off Judge Merryday was that the CSO "targeted" the cruise lines. The CDC argued that the CSO was designed around applicable maritime law that didn't apply to any other similar industries. If I recall, this argument carried some legal weight and I note in this new release, the CDC is careful to point out that maritime law authorizes this new voluntary CSO. I think this may be an open legal question best left to attorneys skilled in interpreting applicable maritime law.
While all this was going on, CLIA remained in the background for reasons that none of us are privy to. There seemed to be a general consensus among industry health and safety protocol policy makers that they preferred cooperation with the CDC rather than confrontation. They left that to FL. Well, FL's argument that the CSO was unlawful prevailed all the way to the USSC. I believe Merryday, who may be called upon to review this new CDC order, would find it too is unlawful for the same reasons the original CSO was found to be unlawful. How the industry reacts collectively via CLIA or whether they navigate their COVID paths forward independently remains to be seen. 
Stay tuned.
That the new CSO may obtain the same fate as the old one may all be wishful thinking and you can be sure the cruise lines are looking at their options. My view is that it makes perfect sense for the lines to not opt in to this thing and let the chips fall where they might. IOW, they would rather live with whatever punitive measures the CDC may impose in order to preserve the ability to regulate themselves using health protocols they have proven to be successful in mitigating COVID.    

No need to thank us, that's what this board is all about, helping out new cruisers and don't feel like you're trying our patience, we were all new cruisers at one time. So, feel free to ask away with any questions you may have. Here's a recommendation no one mentioned. Take a picture of the names of your waitstaff, cabin attendant, favorite bar tender, anyone on board who does a really outstanding job for you. At the end of the cruise, you will get a survey from Royal to fill out. There will be a spot in the survey where you can point out the individuals who did a really great job or poor job for you. You can leave positive or negative comments and mention them by name (you will have their photos to help you remember). These comments are read and shared by higher staff and can lead to pay raises, promotion or termination. 
The Allure is a great cruise ship, we have been on her four times! Here's a fun tip when she is leaving port. Go to deck 14, port side and go all the way to the front (bow) of the hallway. Go through the sliding glass door and you will be standing on top of the navigation deck (thirteen). There are "wings on both the port and starboard) that you can also stand on. Go for photo ops leaving and coming into port. Just beware, it is VERY windy. Hang onto your and or toupee! 

A lot of the opinions aren't really "political" opinions, they are just opinions.  Unfortunately just about everything has been turned into a political opinion at this point.  I have an opinion on the protocols.  It's my opinion.  I can assure you it has nothing to do with my political affiliation.

Their new “rules” don’t say no vaccination requirements …… they say 95% “fully up to date” on the vaccine for an excellence rating 
 

I got my rejection email for my Royal Up on my last sailing during my  8pm dinner the first night, lol.

Based on the changing of tone of various news sites (without making this post political), I would think the transportation mask mandate won't last much longer either.

I hate masks as much as anyone BUT I'm not sure that this is such a terrible trade-off.  No vax requirements, no testing requirements, just the mask nonsense.  To me, that's a win.

It looks like the CDC is saying if you don’t voluntarily do this…then we will punish you by treating you as a conveyance and masking will be required of all individuals onboard…all the time! So there!!
Okay. I believe CDC authority over foreign flagged vessels ends at the limits of US territorial waters. So….at US ports, embarkation and disembarkation days, everyone has to mask up. Otherwise, as soon as the ship clears US waters…open the casino and masks off!

Embark tip: The best way to go with the test result is printing it, but if you want to have everything digital, before arriving to the port make a screen shot for the results of all the people in your cabin. The reason is sometimes the internet signal in the port is not good and it can take a loooong time to be able to show the results, and there is nothing that can be made before showing the results. When you do the screen shot make sure that is the full page and you can see clearly the name of the person, type of test, date it was taken and, of course the result.
Debark tip: Make sure to put something distinctive on every piece of your luggage so you can recognize them right away: A ribbon (NOT red, please), a bright tag, a pompom, duck tape, etc. This is not only for you to spot your luggage but for other people not to take it by mistake. You have no idea how many times it happens that when someone go to get their baggage they cannot find it because somebody took it and is already gone. The other thing you can do that is very helpful to find quick your luggage is to take a picture with all the pieces when they are ready to be left outside your cabin with the number tags and whatever you put on them to be recognized, so next  day at debark if you don't find them right away it would be easier for the agents to help you. This is really a good way to do it.

Same here …… we have Symphony tomorrow …… then Wonder in March and Alaska in June that I can’t cancel because we have too many other people going with us that would be mad if we cancelled  ……. But after that, if it’s going to be masks, boosters, and/or ridiculous protocols, the other 6 cruises I have booked from that point on will all be cancelled.  It’s time for the cruise lines to tell the CDC to go to hell. 

Even though that is sad to see written I think you're correct that pre-Covid cruising is gone forever. 😡  I have not been on a cruise since 2019...I was scheduled for one in March 2020 on Oasis when everything got shutdown.
I've been watching these protocols come and go and the one thing I have seen is they don't get relaxed much and they just shift the narratives. The cruise lines are trying to navigate these rules to make money, totally understandable, but we will not be close to even full cruises much less pre-Covid protocols again, if ever.
It's just sad I may never step foot on a cruise ship again. Yes I've had the shots, two of them, but I will not get a booster - I'm done.  Paying to go on a vacation to wear a mask is just not something I'm willing to do. Too many other places to vacation and spend my money. I'm still working for a couple more years so one vacation a year is all I get and it's got to be relaxing. Cruising to me now is just too stressful to just get on the ship.
I'd love to cruise again as I really miss it but...not looking good for VACruiser.

CDC came out with new opt-in regulations for cruise ships. It seems to me that opting in will be costly for cruise lines. Cruise lines that opt in MUST follow ALL of the guidelines. They cannot pick and choose. 
https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/cruise/management/technical-instructions-for-cruise-ships.html

Exactly what I expected.  The CDC as currently lead, will never let go.  Still in the zero case mentality - the rest of the world is moving on to its just another periodic virus (that we can now treat effectively).

Welp, I didn’t read the thing, but since the CDC put it together I have some idea what it says.  Was hoping some common sense would come into play with summer and beyond, but if the CDC is calling the shots that won’t be the case.  If Royal intends to run this vaccine thing indefinitely, they should let people cash out their FCC’s that don’t want to sail under these protocols.

EXACTLY! I am not boosted and have no intention to do so at this time. Again, if these data are correct https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/pharmacy/states-ranked-by-booster-rates.html and only 42.5% of those that qualify to get Boosters have done so, won't they be loosing some customers? 

EXACTLY! I am not boosted and have no intention to do so at this time. Again, if these data are correct https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/pharmacy/states-ranked-by-booster-rates.html and only 42.5% of those that qualify to get Boosters have done so, won't they be loosing some customers? 

‘The graphic above says NCL has 0 ships that meet the 95% “up to date” threshold 
 

But will they be able to meet the boosted threshold? The new CSO basically treats the unboosted as unvaccinated.

Did NCL opt in already?  On the dashboard it shows their ships as opting into the program:
https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/cruise/cruise-ship-color-status.html

 

I certainly hope Royal and no other cruise line opts into this mess.  Right now the CDC is nothing more than a political tool, that has lied to the American people from the very beginning under the guise of following the science and data.  I’m fully vaccinated but at this point I’m DONE, they promised we would get our lives back once a majority of the population was vaccinated right now according to the Mayo Clinic and John Hopkins over 76% of all American’s have received at least 1 dose this includes the J&J vaccine and over 64% of American have received 2 dose vaccine which is either Pfizer or Moderna.  Remember when Fauci and the CDC said the benchmark was between 60-70% vaccination rate of at least 1 dose would be considered herd immunity and once we reached herd immunity we could get back to normal. What a crock of **** that turned out to be and now they are pushing boosters, for heaven sakes where does it end? 
Cruise lines have been held to an unfair higher standard than any other form of vacation travel or vacation experience in this country and here we have the CDC at it once again. I hope the cruise lines tell the CDC to take their program and shove it some place I rather not say because they (the cruise lines) know what it takes to keep their passengers safe while onboard their ships and in ports of call.  It is hilariously frustrating to see the CDC continue to come after cruise lines when the total number of positive cases on cruise ships is less than 1% when compared to the total number of cases on land within the US. And as far as it has been reported there have been no reports of serious illness, hospitalization and no deaths related to COVID on cruise ships here in the US since the resumption of cruising. 

Yep ...... I'm getting the feeling that after the CDC got told to pound sand with their CSO, they're trying to weasel their way back in to running them where maritime health protocols are involved. We know that the reality here is that cruise ships, when it comes to COVID, have proven to be the safest congregate setting on the planet. There is no need for additional regulatory schemes of any type regarding COVID. 
Because the CDC's authority to dictate health and safety protocols has been found to have no basis in the law, the lines would be completely within their rights to say, no thanks to CDC's overtures to voluntarily comply with this new CSO they just issued.

Some of those new rules are no less ridiculous than the ones from the original CSO. Cruise lines cannot get back to full ships if they opt into the new CSO.

If you're a close contact on a ship how long you quarantine isn't dictated by science, but by whether or not there are 95%+ boosted on that cruise.  I'd doubt you'll see too many 95% boosted cruises. If any.

Specifically, if you're a close contact and there are less than 95% boosted on your cruise (even if you are) you have to quarantine 10 days (if the cruise lasts that long).  If there are 95% boosted, you only have to quarantine 5 days.  That's just downright stupid and doesn't make any medical sense with the current state of vaccines.
If you are symptomatic and seek out testing, only if the ship is 95% boosted can the cruise line give you a antigen test. Otherwise it has to be a PCR test.

My husband booked our first back to back cruise. 8 day Bahamas, followed by 11 days Transatlantic. We had done 3 cruises in the last 3 months. I can't stand the face mask. If Royal requires the booster, we will cancel everything! I rather to lose the deposit money. Enough is enough with this protocols after almost 2 years. I sadly will say goodbye to cruising.

CGTLA, ChrisK2793 & HBCcruiser, I think there's an out here for the lines. Namely the approach I mentioned above. Lines simply won't advertise they are NOT at a "vaccination standard of excellence." They will continue to advertise, as they have been doing for a year now, our guests and crew are fully vaccinated. I agree the CDC sees these two definitions as different. I don't think that matters to the cruise lines. They can be in voluntary compliance even though they may choose not to try to achieve this excellence status BS. It's unnecessary hair-splitting to me and probably to consumers. The lines feel they have achieved an adequate level of COVID mitigation with their current polices and as I also said, proof's in the pudding. They work.
Another key issue here is the dwindling prevalence of Omicron, while nothing is guaranteed with respect to this variant, future surges of it or the emergence of other variants, the research community is in almost universal agreement that we can't boost our way out of this. The future of vaccines involves the development of one that covers a wide rage of coronaviurses - won't prevent infection but will keep people who get infected from becoming seriously ill or dying at higher rates than for other diseases like influenza.
As usual, the CDC is behind on this or, more likely, knows it but for whatever reasons won't provide recommendations based on it. Same old shit. The CDC is NOT an agile agency. The cruise industry and their H&S Panels are.
I feel confident that this announcement of the voluntary program will not alter the cruise line's plans and how they approach and implement H&S policies. I think we will see the dropping of indoor mask requirements on the 15th. Sort of a sign that the lines are moving along in dealing with the pandemic faster than the CDC is.
Re Debstr66's post ......the CDC's authority via the CSO to direct cruise ships to implement indoor masking requirements have been in question since the Federal District Court in FL temporarily enjoined it. Subsequently, HHS and the CDC appealed to USSC and then withdrew the appeal leaving it permanently enjoined. It is generally believed that the CSO and by extension, its masking requirements are unenforceable for ships sailing from both FL and other US ports. I also believe the USCG has said it will not enforce either outdoor or indoor masking requirements. 
The recent addition of masking requirements indoors and on board some cruise ships was a cruise line initiated protocol. It was based on the increased infectiousness of Omicron, the increasing numbers of COVID cases emerging on cruise ships and is now being rescinded as of 01/15/22 as those numbers decrease to near zero. Masking decisions are within the H&S policy domain of the cruise lines. That was a concession made by the CDC not too long ago.  As well, all this if's ands and buts that stratify mask wearing requirements indoors are a product of cruise lines electing to re-start revenue sailings using the CDC's protocols for restarting either above or below 95% vaccination rates. Lines that went operational with 95% or greater vax rates don't have any of that confusing stratification stuff.

Ugh!!! This blows out the Vaccinated Only venues not requiring a mask.. 🤬