Bowen

This made me laugh. I wanted to reply though because it's really important that your friends know that they do not have to be a part of any religion in order to take a religious accommodation, at least not if they are in the US and asking for a cruise that goes out of US ports. I can't say that with any authority on any other locations. SCOTUS ruled years ago that your religion is simply the moral rules by which you live your life. So if you're a vegan and someone tells you that you have to be healthier so you need to eat meat, you can take a religious exemption for that. It can be tough, trying to figure this out since it's not something most of us have ever dealt with, but whatever your friends reasons for not wanting to get vaccinated, that is their religious belief. It's more a moral belief, but what are morals if not your own religion? This has been a big time bump in the road for us especially (we're Catholic) because our religious leaders have come out and said "Take the vaccine", so that's an extra hurdle. Thankfully you don't have to do things that your religious leaders tell you to do if they go against your moral beliefs. Anyhow I hope that helps. I just called RC again since we're a month out and got the check in email today. I plan on calling them every week until they get back to me. Last time I called (I think three weeks ago) I got an email right away asking me to clarify my religious exemption request, so maybe staying in touch with them will get things done a little faster. Good luck!

No bueno.

Same. Once we get the word on the religious exemptions we'll be done either way. We'll cruise if they let us, we'll cancel if they don't, but we won't book anything else until there are no mandates of any sort.

I think you're right, sadly.

Where are you being remotely isolated?

Vaccine mandates. Those are bothersome.

So I've got a request in on two cruises right now for a religious vaccine exemption. I'm just waiting to hear back from the cruise line. If they give me the exemption we'll cruise, if not we'll cancel and get our money back.

Yeah I'll spend it if that's what it comes down to. Hopefully they deny my exemption and I can just get it canceled, but since we cruise in the off season I figure I'd better plan for the eventuality of spending the money on PCR tests.

If you state that you're testing due to COVID exposure do you still get the same turnaround? Thanks!

Has anyone had to take a PCR test for travel since July 1st? I'm seeing on the Walgreens and CVS sites that the tests are no longer covered unless you meet some criteria (medically necessary, high risk, in contact with a COVID 19 positive case). Has anyone had to test under 12's unvaccinated recently? That's a hefty fee to pay to cruise, an additional $130 per child as far as I can tell.

I definitely think it's the latter and would have zero animosity for RC filling their spots with vaccinated over unvaccinated, it's easier for them and they are running a business. I'm glad they're giving unvaccinated an opportunity to cruise, even if we have to do some extra stuff. I feel really bad for the cruise industry, it upsets me that they're being subjected to (what I view as) the abuse of the CDC. I think it's incredibly unfair and it stinks of unelected officials trying to stay relevant. Whatever happens with these two cruises, I wish RC all the best and will go back to them whenever they drop the mandates, but I'll definitely be throwing my cruise dollars at whichever line drops them first.

I wouldn't cancel anything. I do things all day long out in public with tons of people and never consider whether or not they are vaccinated, sick, etc.

Update on mine, still no update, lol. I submitted May 9th for an August 14 cruise and a September 18 cruise. I went back and resubmitted the Sept 18 cruise on a different email because I wasn't sure if they would accept both on one email. I waited about...5 weeks or so since the automated response said it would take about 15 days for me to hear back, and then I called the direct line to talk to someone rather than having to get transferred around from the general line. They told me there was no update and that it could be as soon as two weeks before my cruise before I heard anything. My son was supposed to go to church camp the week before the cruise, so I had to call the camp and change that because I knew there would be no way to get a test three days prior if he was a few hours away in the woods. The camp changed it around without a problem, so that was great. I'll give you the text I used to explain my exemption, but since I haven't been approved I have no idea if it'll be helpful or not. I'll update here when I hear back from them. I'll be calling August 1st if I haven't gotten anything back by then. "Taking a covid-19 vaccine violates my conscience and religious beliefs for the following two reasons. First, each of the manufactures of the COVID-19 vaccines currently available in my country were developed, confirmed and/or tested their vaccines using fetal cell lines originating from electively terminated fetuses. I learned of this when I was first offered a COVID-19 vaccine. My religious beliefs require that I respect all human life, including fetal life, and not knowingly benefit from harm to fetal life regardless of when that life was taken. I am aware that other vaccines and medications may use similar fetal cells in their development and to the extent that I am aware of such use, I avoid those medications. Second, knowingly introducing substances that may have unknown consequences into my body violates my fundamental belief that my body is a gift from God. My beliefs instruct me to examine for myself the things that I put in my body and judge them wisely because I will be judged by God for my choices. I cannot violate my religious beliefs even if it might be of medical or financial benefit to me. As such, I cannot, in good conscience and informed by my religious beliefs, take any COVID-19 vaccine at this time." Hopefully that helps. It can feel very weird to request something like this, definitely not something I ever thought I'd have to do, but it is what it is, so just explain it as best you can.

I haven't been checking this thread since I'm still waiting on mine (I'll update down below), but I wanted to say that this stinks and I'm sorry.

Maybe some of them will move toward the idea that if you're not vaccinated/tested then you can't get off the ship. I have no idea if their income right now is based on new bookings or FCCs, so that makes a big difference. I'm just thinking of people who simply cannot cruise with these regulations in place, people who cruise with extended family, etc. Ah well, they know what their bottom line can and cannot handle. It would be nice though for them to only have to worry about other country's protocols and not the US's, which are special just for cruises because....reasons.

I have absolutely no confirmation of this, just some Tweets from an account that is generally reliable. According to them the rumor is that the US government will be extending the pandemic emergency on Friday. If this happens then it seems like the idea that pre cruise testing and vaccination going away will not be happening anytime soon. If this happens, do you think the cruise ships will continue to go along with the opt in for what the CDC is currently making them do?

That's some good thinking there!

Same. I do miss cruising, but the most important thing is to be able to vacation with friends and family, that means doing something that welcomes everyone, regardless of vaccination status. Thankfully there are loads of places. Actually I think cruises might be the last to let it go. It's a shame, it's going to cost them a lot of money.

I can't say for sure since I haven't been through it, but I think you get cash back and not a new FCC. I think they're trying very hard right now not to issue anymore FCCs.

This isn't at all true. The Cruise Lines are even now asking the CDC to reconsider the pre cruise COVID testing. Of course it's a CDC requirement. Go read the post on the board today where CLIA specifically says they hope the CDC will reconsider.

I think it is? Like it's voluntary ("Voluntary") as far as the cruise lines opting in, but if they want to claim to be "highly vaccinated" and all that goes with it then they have to meet a vaccination and testing threshold? Seems like if testing weren't required by the "opt in" then they could just take vaccinated customers and leave the testing alone unless you're not vaccinated? There's got to be some rhyme or reason to that.

Fantastic news!

Yes! I just read about it and was coming here to post, awesome!!!

I've only had them from airlines so far. Same, we've been spending all of our vacation money locally, or in states that are the same as our state in regards to protocols. Hopefully by the beginning of the year the US will drop these requirements. I would love to take those international trips we skipped in the last two years.

I think travel services are catching on to how much this is affecting things. I am starting to get survey's from places basically wanting to know why I'm not traveling. The latest one was from British Airways. It's very obvious from the questions that they know people are just (mostly) not going to spend money in places that require them to do COVID tests/vaccines. I've heard that it's really killing American tourism as well, the requirement to test to get into the states. Hopefully they can all get back to normal sooner rather than later, surely they need the money.