gavin923

^^ This
People need to realize that the objective of the media is not to tell you the news.

I personally think the world is overreacting to Omicron and pier testing of every individual would not stop Omicron from getting on board.
As much as I loathe the CDC the protocols are working and have been working very nicely on ships.  Not even the CDC recommends pier testing everyone.  
The goal has never been zero cases on ships.  That is an impossible target.
Positivity rates on ships are a fraction of what they are on land right now.  That's because the existing protocols work.  
  
 

^^ This
People need to realize that the objective of the media is not to tell you the news.

Well, I think the news they feed us is "fake news". 😎

^^ This
People need to realize that the objective of the media is not to tell you the news.

^^ This
People need to realize that the objective of the media is not to tell you the news.

^^ This
People need to realize that the objective of the media is not to tell you the news.

^^ This
People need to realize that the objective of the media is not to tell you the news.

USA Today has it's own agenda and they have quite a few people with a known bias against the cruise industry.  dv70 posted a link to the US embassy website which clearly states passengers arriving on cruise ships are subjected to the testing requirements of the cruise line that have been approved by the Bahamian Government.  USA Today could have easily made it clear nothing thus far has changed for cruise ships but decided not to so.
 

OMG! I'm in love (in a very non-bad way) with all the respondents to this string. Common sense, fact driven, straightforward logic. The cruise ship is the safest place to be during this high sniffle event. All passengers and crew are tested, almost all are vaccinated, and all are aware of the facts. Nothing scares the fearmongers more than this group!

Agreed! I’m just concerned about every port of call being cancelled and just going on an extended ride.

I am supposed to be on this sailing, I have extra hurdles to get over as a Canadian but I plan on boarding the ship next weekend!

Well, we managed to salvage the day. The captain announced that we received approval to disembark at approximately 1:30 pm. My kids had a blast at the water park and Coco Cay was in full swing (from my limited view at least). Royal Caribbean provided a 50% refund on a slew of excursion charges including thrill water park passes, cabanas, and other excursions.
All aboard was pushed to 5:30, but we couldn’t stay later due to sunset.

Ok, cool. So what’s the warning level for the following?
Airports
Airplanes
Sporting events
Concert venues
Movie theaters
Shopping malls
Grocery stores
Large chain retail stores
Amusement parks
Public transportation
Restaurants
Bars
Resorts

The CDC is a complete joke.  

One thing i cannot understand is why there is the need for all of these new measures when the same scientists who came across as the grim reaper for the past 18 months are saying this new variant is not as dangerous as Delta! Its just easier to catch and is like the common cold for those who are vaccinated! 
Yet in the UK we have brand new measures introduced when most of the country is vaccinated when lesser measures were rolled out before vaccine.. 
Oh wait!! I think i get it 😉

We have a cruise scheduled 01/09 and barring cancellation by the cruise industry we are going cruising. As of a few minutes ago the Bahamas cleared Freedom OTS to disembark on CoCo Cay so that conspiracy is now defunct. We will test as always, be careful in our events onboard and enjoy yet another cruise as we have since August. Flexibility and care is the name of the game now, onboard ship and at home. Even with additional protocols the cruises have been enjoyable and we cannot wait for the next ones.

Everybody who’s sailing on 01/08/22 on Symphony OTS let’s unite in the Club of Positive/Optimistic  Cruisers Only, and let’s enjoy our deserved vacation !!!👈😎

I’m curious if this is policy now.

Agreed! I’m just concerned about every port of call being cancelled and just going on an extended ride.

how much sway does the CDC have over the cruise industry?
From CNBC:
U.S. CDC says people should ‘avoid cruise travel, regardless of vaccination status’
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday advised people against travelling by cruise ship regardless of their vaccination status after a recent increase in positive Covid cases as the omicron variant sweeps the world. 
The CDC increased its travel warning for cruise ships to the highest level. The agency is currently investigating or observing dozens of cruise ships that have had Covid outbreaks.

For anyone ordering tests that has a Health Savings Account (HSA) - the cost for tests IS INDEED an approved expense per the IRS. So use your HSA.

Just had our bid accepted from Balcony to Junior Suite on Symphony Jan 8 sailing. Super excited. I’m not going to tell my wife until we are on board & surprise her.

For anyone ordering tests that has a Health Savings Account (HSA) - the cost for tests IS INDEED an approved expense per the IRS. So use your HSA.

Just had our bid accepted from Balcony to Junior Suite on Symphony Jan 8 sailing. Super excited. I’m not going to tell my wife until we are on board & surprise her.