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OFFICIAL: No masks for vaccinated passengers departing from the Bahamas!


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I was looking through the Royal Caribbean website and stumbled across this gem! 

No masks onboard if vaccinated

Covid test provided by the cruise line in day 6

Unvaccinated guests to wear masks indoors.

Follow local mask requirements in port

 

Let the fun begin!

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/the-healthy-sail-center/getting-ready-to-cruise

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I just hope they aren't strict on kids not wearing masks indoors. 

 

But we got the "will there be transportation from the Hilton to the pier" question answered to the affirmative.

 

It says you can purchase airport pre-and post-cruise transportation on the cruise planner, which I don't see. Just the post-cruise sightseeing tour with airport drop off.

 

Looks like no priority check-in line for those eligible. But with the staggered times and reduced capacity that shouldn't be a big deal.

 

Debarkation details will be given later

 

 

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No masks onboard if vaccinated

If you go to the link and read the entire page, I think you can figure out what RCL is going to be doing regarding mask requirements for all their cruises until the PHE or CSO expires. It would be safe to assume neither of these will expire before November 1st 2021 - assuming the CSO is not enjoined. They might be modified in ways that are beneficial to the cruise industry but they won't be cancelled. That is because multiple US organizations and agencies are connected to the PHE wrt to funding, budgeting, plans, procedures and policies.

I posted elsewhere that it is hard to figure out what the CDC's guidance on masking actually is. IMO, they've dodged providing specific guidance and there are defensible reasons for that position. The CDC would argue that outside where they have been authorized to regulate, e.g., the VSP and CSO, the CDC recommends frameworks and leaves mandates, COVID policy and protocols to the states. Generally, states defer to counties and counties, at this point anyway, give substantial latitude to businesses to set their own SARS2 mitigation measures, including requiring vaccines.

I think RCL's mask and vaccination requirements are pretty clear, less ambiguous than the CDC's, except in one area. That is large congregate settings both indoors and outdoors in a hybrid mix of vaxed and unvaxed passengers.  Here's what RCL says are mask requirements for unvaccinated guests:

  • Masks are not required in open-air areas onboard the ship or at Perfect Day at CocoCay unless you are in a crowded setting. Masks are not permitted in the pool or for any activity where they could become wet.
  • Indoors: Masks must be worn in all indoor public spaces onboard the ship unless seated and actively eating or drinking. Masks are not required in your stateroom as long as you are with your own travel party.
  • In public ports: Local mask and distancing requirements at public ports of call must be followed.
  • Guests under age 2 do not need to wear a mask at any time.

RCL has the same problem with more specific guidance on mask requirements in crowded outdoor settings as the CDC has. The anecdotal data is pretty clear. No matter the size of a crowd gathered outside, no matter that not everyone is vaccinated, the risk of SARS2 transmission is extremely low. That has been shown anecdotally but not in any peer reviewed studies I am aware of. That's why the CDC is vague, like it or not.  I don't think staff are going to around to check your vaccination status to determine if you need a mask or not in any onboard setting. It is completely impractical. So, it's an honor system. Once again, if the dude standing behind you in line at the ice cream machine indoors/in the dining area isn't masked and isn't vaccinated, your risk of exposure is very low.

Everyone has to make their own determination about how much risk of getting COVID they are willing to take while engaged in the entire range of shipboard and land based activities on a cruise. If you're worried about a hybrid passenger manifest on an RCL cruise out of FL or a foreign port, don't cruise on one of those sailings. Go on an RCL or Celebrity cruise where vaccination is mandatory.

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Who defines what a crowded setting is?  1000-1500 on a ship that can handle nearly 4000, I can't see too many crowded spots.

11 minutes ago, JeffB said:

I don't think staff are going to around to check your vaccination status to determine if you need a mask or not in any onboard setting

Every adult will be vaccinated, anyway.  I'm sure there will be some question on if someone's 15 vs 16, or later 11 vs 12, but, probably not high on their concern list.

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8 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Every adult will be vaccinated, anyway.  I'm sure there will be some question on if someone's 15 vs 16, or later 11 vs 12, but, probably not high on their concern list.

Unless I'm missing something, that would be true only on Alaska sailings from Seattle, right? From FL ports vaccinations are strongly encouraged but not required, right?

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10 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Who defines what a crowded setting is?  1000-1500 on a ship that can handle nearly 4000, I can't see too many crowded spots.

Every adult will be vaccinated, anyway.  I'm sure there will be some question on if someone's 15 vs 16, or later 11 vs 12, but, probably not high on their concern list.

I’m dying to know what the actual capacity will be.

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Interested to see how these rules change leaving from US. And how they change over time. On symphony end Nov and I know my 6 year old will understand she needs a mask inside ( wears one at school) but feel bad she will be the only one in our party wearing one. ( and deep down I dont want to wear it myself in solidarity! ?)

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10 hours ago, JeffB said:

Unless I'm missing something, that would be true only on Alaska sailings from Seattle, right? From FL ports vaccinations are strongly encouraged but not required, right?

You are right. I read same thing. I guess it is their way to get around FL law. But the question is, once they go into Bahamas and/or Caribbean water, can't they create their own rules?  

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13 minutes ago, Jennifer Burke said:

You are right. I read same thing. I guess it is their way to get around FL law. But the question is, once they go into Bahamas and/or Caribbean water, can't they create their own rules?  

RCL's plan to not require vaccinations for most US port sailings pre-dates the Desantis kerfuffle. I wouldn't say it's a planned workaround to the Desantis threats. I'd offer that its mainly coincidental that it turns out that way.

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56 minutes ago, JeffB said:

RCL's plan to not require vaccinations for most US port sailings pre-dates the Desantis kerfuffle. I wouldn't say it's a planned workaround to the Desantis threats. I'd offer that its mainly coincidental that it turns out that way.

You may be correct, but I’ve been following it pretty closely and I’m not sure it was clear on what their plans were, and I’m only hopeful it’s “clear” now.  Also, if this pre-dates the kerfuffle, then why was there a kerfuffle at all?  I guess Celebrity may have been the focus of the kerfuffle, but it’s all been less than transparent.

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12 minutes ago, gatorskin76 said:

 Also, if this pre-dates the kerfuffle, then why was there a kerfuffle at all? 

I think all stems from trying to follow along with the CDC guidance ... if they were going to give preference for fully/highly vaccinated ships then you wanted to be going that way to be ready to go, Florida went the the other way ...

Cruise line were stuck in the middle waiting to see "who won" .. now it looks like a compromise might work so we are all happy again ?

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1 hour ago, JeffB said:

RCL's plan to not require vaccinations for most US port sailings pre-dates the Desantis kerfuffle. I wouldn't say it's a planned workaround to the Desantis threats. I'd offer that its mainly coincidental that it turns out that way.

I just went back and watched Richard Fain’s video from around a week ago.  Here was his statement about Royal Caribbean International…”everyone who’s eligible for the vaccine will be expected to have one”.  Things can change, but that sounded pretty definitive at the time.

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First, this thread has the shortest posts EVER by @JeffB. No appendix required!

Back on topic...

The protocols are pretty reasonable, and a little surprisingly better than expected.

Considering when I booked this cruise I thought we'd be wearing masks outside, this is all gravy.

Biggest

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51 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

I highly doubt mask rules on these cruises will be anywhere near as strict as the Singapore rules

I expect that the rules will be enforced. There are alot of people who would love to point to an outbreak on one of these early cruises as evidence that we should not be cruising at all.

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As a matter of comparison to how RCL is handling COVID protocols, I'm sailing from Athens on July 9th on Celebrity Apex. Celebrity's mechanism for disseminating global health and safety protocols and policies - by the term "global," I mean the basics that will be applicable on all Celebrity ships sailing in July -  is through a Celebrity Home page link to the Healthy at Sea page. This page explains the global protocols, provides links to country travel advisories and entry requirements and procedures as well as CDC advisories and notices. There's a link to a FAQs page which covers most health and safety questions.

Celebrity requires the use of their App. It isn't new and is fully technology integrated with Edge class ships and mostly integrated with Solstice and Millennium class ships. If you don't use a smart phone, you can check in at the pier manually as before and take care of business at guest relations but that's going to take you a lot longer. The App is very good and makes boarding, especially on the Edge class ships a breeze. You can complete all your check-in tasks on the App or at the Celebrity web site. Your boarding pass can be printed or, like an airline ticket, your app has a QR code to display on your phone.  You can make your app your room key, see all daily activities on board, make spa, dining and shore excursion reservations and keep track of your spending once on board. You can also complete your muster drill within the app. The days of going to your muster station and lining up by your life boats are gone. You can also chat via the app if you want to set that up.

You must complete a pre-boarding health questionnaire the day before or on the day of sailing before you arrive at the terminal in Athens at your reserved time (reserved on the app). That health screening form will be sent to your phone app. You'll be physically screened at the terminal before boarding and must present proof of vaccination at that time. This will slow down an otherwise contactless check-in process using just the app but check-in times are assigned and staggered.

From the Celebrity on-line web home page, when logged in, you can go to the page that lists your cruise. Click on that to manage your reservation and there are links there if you want to buy single excursions or a host of packages pre-sail. Sometimes these are discounted and for my Apex sailing, they appear to be. They also appear to be demand pricing controlled. You can also review the extensive changes to your cruise contract that contains rules and regulations. The new stuff there pertains to COVID. The rest is boiler plate and unchanged from pre-pandemic rules and regs. 

Interestingly, on the Athens cruise I'm booked on, there is an obvious omission on mask policy. It's there on the Millennium cruise out of St. Martin and what I would expect it to be for an all vaxed pax manifest (masks are not required on board, but may be required ashore if local regulations stipulate) but not on the Apex cruise, also all vaxed, out of Athens. There is a statement that passengers will receive additional safety protocols, if applicable, as the sailing date approaches. I suspect this is still being worked out with Greek health authorities. Mask guidance also isn't present on the Edge sailing out of PEV on the 26th.

All-in-all, I've been satisfied with Celebrity's approach and how they've provided all the information you need to be informed and prepared. I get the pickle that RCL is in and understand how hard it is to not know what you need and would like to know months before your cruise. 

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