DunwoodyDad

RCL must be running the numbers of incremental bookings from the non-vaccinated plus families with kids under 12 that will sail under these conditions versus folks that are vaccinated and want a mask-free experience. (The RCL diehards are a given.) I guess the spreadsheet says go with the former especially given the other lines appear to be going with the latter. My family of 2 adults and 4 “kids” of 15-20 who are all vaccinated don’t want to deal with these compexities for sure.

So last night I was literally booking a cruise online filling out forms and clicked over to Matt’s blog and saw this. It made me pause because it doesn’t sound anything like the current experience I have been reading about and seeing coming from Adventure this week. I realize Royal is trying to navigate this complex situation between the CDC, the governors restrictions around vaccine proof, and the desire to serve families. But it still sounds like an experience I am not interested in. I am looking at a date in December and would hope these things would change by then. To me asking vaccinated people to wear masks indoors in certain situations just doesn’t align to what is happening everywhere in the US at this point. I would have seen things differently just a couple months ago, but things are so much more normalish now. So at this point I am not sure if I am booking or not.

Yes, I’ve sent my thoughts to my congressional reps. Please do the same!! When I read Buttigieg’s comments, it’s clear he has no idea what he is talking about in relation to what is holding cruising back. The clueless politicians and the DC regulars think the cruise lines need to prove something to start despite sailing successfully for months out of other ports. DeSantis’ lawsuit is such a welcome sight.

Seems like the outgoing administration twisted some arms at the CDC for the conditional framework, got distracted with other stuff we all know about, and now are almost out. So, the CDC has had the benefit of slow rolling any follow up to the framework. To be fair, they are dealing with a pandemic so are pretty busy, but it’s been apparent they would prefer that no cruises sail from the US for now Anyways, my opinion is that unless the incoming admin pushes them to get cruising going again and pursue the test cruises, we are waiting for the vaccine to be broadly administered before anything sails again. Throw in red tape time and we are looking at summer best case just for the initial cruises.

Thanks for the fast response Matt! I was behind on your podcast but just listened and heard you cover this. Also really appreciate the return of the mailbag and the classic relaxing island music!!!

I am not sure if I missed something or not, but it seems like all focus in the news and on the boards for return to cruising In the US hinges on the vaccine. I thought we were on the cusp of hearing about/seeing test cruises to comply with the latest CDC order. Has this been dropped due to the complexity of the requirement? Or is the CDC dragging its feet? Sorry if this has been spelled out elsewhere.

I’ve done stuff like this for companies I work for and it’s purely a model to attempt to predict revenues...certainly not a bottoms up look. So I wouldn’t draw too many conclusions for a particular sailing you are booked on, but I do think it highlights the gradual ramp that is a function of so many barriers that the cruise lines have to overcome as they come back. It just won’t be a light switch.

I definitely don’t get the 180 day rule. Seems like excluding people who have built up immunity is the opposite of what you would want. I mean, that is exactly what the vaccine does...builds up immunity just without you actually having it.

I’ve been watching prices on a few short cruises in the early summer and almost always the Port Canaveral prices are slightly (like $30 pp) above Miami for basically the same cruise. But today I am now seeing Port Canaveral for Over $200 higher than Miami for those same cruises. Anyone else noticing this? Any ideas what is going on?

I would definitely do it and could bring my wife plus 2 “kids” over 18 (18 and 20) if needed.

Really surprised this got rescheduled so fast. Awesome.

To be super clear here, I am fine wearing a mask in general. I also think it totally makes sense to wear them indoors except in staterooms. All I am questioning is wearing them while outside especially when this is in line with CDC guidance (distanced) and is in line with almost all state and local guidance as well.

Well, because it doesn’t make sense. I can be outside at the port next to the ship and not need a mask, but if I’m outside on the ship, I do? And on top of that, I just had 2 negative tests plus a health screen to get on it.

Or maybe (hopefully) this is the stance for the region but will be different in the US where specifically the Healthy Sail was focused.

This is not what was in the Healthy Sail document. It said masks were not necessary outdoors unless distancing was not possible. And to be clear, you don’t need a mask outside pretty much anywhere in the US. From pages 25-26: Recommendation 16: To prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2, cruise operators should require guests Specifically, guests should wear face coverings in any indoor, congregate setting regardless of physical distancing measures, but should not be required to wear face coverings in their own cabins. A notable exception is indoor dining. Seating in restaurants and bars/lounges should allow for physical distancing, so guests can eat and drink without needing face coverings while seated. Face coverings are not required in outdoor settings as long as physical distancing is feasible. However, if physical distancing is not feasible in certain outdoor settings, masks/face coverings among guests should be required in those locations. For crew members, masks should be worn any time they are engaging with other crew members or guests (i.e., in all public settings, both indoors and outdoors).

Hope it happens. Just afraid it might not if Pence is having to take any other meetings In Trump’s place.

I wonder if the meeting in DC is still on today given what’s going on....

As I understand it, the plan is to do 2 tests pending the availability of rapid testing (pages 19-20 of healthy sail document). So each guest would get the 5 day and then a rapid result test during boarding. It will be interesting to see if RCCL implements the Rapid test at the port because assuming they do, this pretty much IS a bubble compared to any other place you could be visiting (obviously not counting sitting in your house). I mean you’ve got the crew that have been on that ship for x days and then guests that undergo 2 Covid checks before getting onboard. The pseudo bubble is then only broken at destination ports.

I think many will classify this as a political decision as you state, but as I have said previously in other threads I think of this in the same way most corporations don’t let theIr lawyers make business decisions. That’s because the lawyers job is to protect the company from risk. However it’s usually the necessary to take on some risk to grow a company. The root of the issue is that the CDC should never have been in the position they were to make the call about the whether cruises could sail from US ports or not. They are scientists/doctors and are focused on any/all risks of COVID spread. It’s just not in their mindset to make a balanced call on whether the risks are outweighed by other factors. Plus, as others have said, they don’t want to be distracted by the cruise industry while they have other things to worry about.

It’s official. 10/31 on the CDC website

My family members (different folks) have had 4 tests done so far. One from CVS took 5 days to get back but that was a few months ago and was done on a Thursday so I assume that impacted turnaround. The other 3 were all rapid tests and were returned within 25 minutes. For that, the key is to search for rapid Covid tests. However, in all of these cases, there was a reason to get tested because the person felt bad and saw someone in a clinic first for a few minutes. I’m not sure how easy it is/will be to get a rapid test because you are going on a cruise.

Makes sense. Thanks Twangster

I wonder how realistic this is for Royal? It certainly seems like something to explore. I could see the Bahamas as an origination point if they were open to it considering how many ships visit there already. It would certainly bring in lots of $ for hotel nights before/after plus the food/merchant spending that would normally follow. The cruise line wouldn’t have to bend to CDC whims.

This also implies if someone is sick onboard they get quarantined (standard protocol for many other illnesses) and others in “close contact”. What it doesn’t say is if someone is tested positive for COVID, the whole ship goes into quarantine which is what many fear.

Totally agree. They are doing their job. It just shouldn’t be their call whether the cruise lines resume or not just like it isn’t for every other industry.