Seymoure1991 Posted June 29, 2021 Report Share Posted June 29, 2021 I'm totally lost on this too. I booked July of 2020, and have travel insurance, but am going to have to read up on the policy, but don't recall a Covid exemption. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted June 29, 2021 Report Share Posted June 29, 2021 Can you even have a policy in the name of a minor? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonOasis Posted June 29, 2021 Report Share Posted June 29, 2021 13 hours ago, smokeybandit said: RC requiring travel insurance for all unvaxed bookings made after today, too https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2021/06/28/royal-caribbean-will-require-unvaccinated-guests-get-travel-insurance-cruises-florida I thought something like might happen which is why in a different thread I raise the question, what happens if a non-vaccinated adult passenger tests positive and several people posted Royals response they will cover all cost. But when you are talking about resuming cruising on multiple ships from multiple port out of Florida where you are prohibited by law from asking for or requiring vaccines the cost to Royal Caribbean to get customers home would be astronomical. Remember when the industry shut down the CDC prohibited cruise lines in particular from utilizing commercial travel to get people people home if they tested positive. If cruise lines are still barred from booking customers who test positive and subsequently disembarked from the cruise on commercial flights the cost of booking noncommercial travel adds up quickly and there is no way a company like RCC can absorb the total cost associated with getting non-vaccinated passengers home on noncommercial flights. I 100% believe that passengers should have a choice they should not be forced into getting vaccinated just to go on a cruise. However at the same time unvaccinated passengers can not expect a cruise line to absorb 100% of the cost if they should test positive during their voyage. Back in 2018 my husband got sick on a MSC cruise we were on the Divina on a 12 night cruise and they medically disembarked us in Colon Panama. Luckly we had insurance and I'm bless to work for an airline. If we didn't have insurance and airline employee, between the medical cost, hotel cost, port fees (Panama charged us a hefty penny for the disembarkation in Colon), taxi to get from Colon to Panama City and then finally last minute air fare we could have easily been out of $10,000 - $13,000 dollars if not more. That situation was the first time we ever had a medical emergency on vacation and I was grateful we had insurance. This situation we went through is precisely the reason why I've been questioning Royal's policy on covering 100% of cost if a passenger test positive especially if RCC feels like Florida's law would result in a even larger pool of unvaccinated customers (adults) on their ships. There is no way RCC can cover the cost and remain in business if several unvaccinated adult passengers test positive on cruises and require disembarkation. Remember the MSC ship in Italy disembarked not only the 2 passenger who test positive but also their entire traveling party and those deem to be in close contact because they were all unvaccinated. I can only imagine what it cost MSC to get all those passengers home especially if they couldn't use commercial /public transportation. WhiteSoxFan and WAAAYTOOO 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted June 29, 2021 Report Share Posted June 29, 2021 1 hour ago, JasonOasis said: However at the same time unvaccinated passengers can not expect a cruise line to absorb 100% of the cost if they should test positive during their voyage. Honestly the cost should be no different. The odds of someone needing medical care on a cruise ship for covid is near zero. But as long as a positive test is an immediate grounds for evacuation (which is insane) then there's a cost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiseGus Posted June 29, 2021 Report Share Posted June 29, 2021 10 minutes ago, smokeybandit said: Honestly the cost should be no different. The odds of someone needing medical care on a cruise ship for covid is near zero. But as long as a positive test is an immediate grounds for evacuation (which is insane) then there's a cost. Cost may not be that more different, just much much more likely to happen for that group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted June 29, 2021 Report Share Posted June 29, 2021 8 minutes ago, CruiseGus said: Cost may not be that more different, just much much more likely to happen for that group. On land, yes, but with all the testing and protocols on a cruise ship, I don't think the odds are that much different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiseGus Posted June 29, 2021 Report Share Posted June 29, 2021 16 minutes ago, smokeybandit said: On land, yes, but with all the testing and protocols on a cruise ship, I don't think the odds are that much different. apparently the cruise line agrees with me, that the odds are greater, the reason they implement this policy JeffB 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonOasis Posted June 29, 2021 Report Share Posted June 29, 2021 7 hours ago, smokeybandit said: Honestly the cost should be no different. The odds of someone needing medical care on a cruise ship for covid is near zero. But as long as a positive test is an immediate grounds for evacuation (which is insane) then there's a cost. I understand your objection to not only this post but some of my other posts. The point that I'm trying to make and have been trying to make is simply this with the exception of Alaska cruises all other cruise that leave the United States are heading to an international country. I 100% respect your views on COVID but your personal views get jettisoned the moment the ship docks in an international country and you disembark. What I'm trying to say is this any one who is unvaccinated can not travel to countries like Israel, Italy, Spain, France, Iceland and a whole host of other countries. You aren't even allowed to board the aircraft here in the United States including Florida, because the country the aircraft is headed too has implemented restrictions which must be complied with regardless of an individuals opinion or views on COVID and vaccines. Countries in the Caribbean are not here to serve or cater to Americans they are not beneath us there are rules and restrictions in place that we have to comply with. If they have entry requirements or concerns over what could be large numbers of unvaccinated passengers coming off cruise ships then they have every right to work with the cruise industry to try and limit the number of unvaccinated passengers they allow onboard and then allow off their ships while the ship is in port. A cruise out of Florida is no different than boarding a flight from MIA heading to TLV they both involve international travel the difference is Florida's law doesn't apply to airlines but it does apply to cruise ships. As much as I like Ron DeSantis this Florida law has made a mess of this entire situation. Countries in the Caribbean who thought 95% of cruise ship passengers would be vaccinated are now faced with the possibility that the number of vaccinated Americans on those ships may be far less than that and it is forcing them to respond and forcing Cruise lines to respond hence the change in RCCs policy. If you are unvaccinated adult and you test positive you and your entire traveling party will be medically disembarked from the cruise even if you are asymptomatic. Right now there are still quite a few Caribbean Islands that require all visitors arriving by air to purchases travel insurance. Just because you arrive by ship doesn't equal an exemption especially if you are unvaccinated. When a cruise ship pulling to a port in the Caribbean after a few minutes or so the captain will come on and say something like: The ship has been cleared by local authorities or customs and immigrations the gangway is now open all aboard is 7pm tonight. Ron DeSantis does not have the authority to force an international country to allow unvaccinated cruise passengers into their country. His power and authority ends the moment the ship leaves the dock period there is no other way to say it and right now because of that law cruise lines are now caught in the middle between Florida's law and complying with restrictions or concerns now being raised by Caribbean nations as a result of Florida's new law. Lovetocruise2002, KristiZ and Ampurp85 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renate Posted July 11, 2021 Report Share Posted July 11, 2021 (edited) Smokeybandit Then why do you suppose Orlando, on their trolley system for International Drive, have UV sterilizers in all of their trolleys?? LOL, because they just felt like spending thousands of extra dollars?? And please explain why Royal Caribbean had 2 outbreaks of Norovirus in 2019?? (that I can recall/looked up) if their "ventilation" system was so good? Orlando spent the money on the sterilizers to PREVENT viral outbreaks to tourists visiting our city, and so far it's been pretty successful. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/norovirus-outbreak-infects-passengers-royal-caribbean-cruise-ships/ Edited July 11, 2021 by Renate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AshleyDillo Posted July 11, 2021 Report Share Posted July 11, 2021 5 hours ago, Renate said: And please explain why Royal Caribbean had 2 outbreaks of Norovirus in 2019?? (that I can recall/looked up) if their "ventilation" system was so good? If I'm not mistaken, norovirus isn't spread through the air, so ventilation systems make little difference with that. You can't compare a coronavirus to norovirus. https://www.cdc.gov/norovirus/about/transmission.html teddy and SpeedNoodles 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted July 11, 2021 Report Share Posted July 11, 2021 6 hours ago, Renate said: Smokeybandit Then why do you suppose Orlando, on their trolley system for International Drive, have UV sterilizers in all of their trolleys?? LOL, because they just felt like spending thousands of extra dollars?? And please explain why Royal Caribbean had 2 outbreaks of Norovirus in 2019?? (that I can recall/looked up) if their "ventilation" system was so good? Orlando spent the money on the sterilizers to PREVENT viral outbreaks to tourists visiting our city, and so far it's been pretty successful. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/norovirus-outbreak-infects-passengers-royal-caribbean-cruise-ships/ Only 2 norovirus outbreaks shows how rare it is. Over sanitization on other public transport is due to the bad assumption made early on that covid was spread on surfaces. UNCFanatik and WAAAYTOOO 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzyBee23 Posted July 12, 2021 Report Share Posted July 12, 2021 On 7/11/2021 at 2:45 AM, Renate said: Smokeybandit Then why do you suppose Orlando, on their trolley system for International Drive, have UV sterilizers in all of their trolleys?? LOL, because they just felt like spending thousands of extra dollars?? And please explain why Royal Caribbean had 2 outbreaks of Norovirus in 2019?? (that I can recall/looked up) if their "ventilation" system was so good? Orlando spent the money on the sterilizers to PREVENT viral outbreaks to tourists visiting our city, and so far it's been pretty successful. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/norovirus-outbreak-infects-passengers-royal-caribbean-cruise-ships/ I'm sorry, so you're using the fact that something was done in order to justify the rationality for doing it? That's circular. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzyBee23 Posted July 12, 2021 Report Share Posted July 12, 2021 Caribbean countries are still free to set their entry requirements... They're making adjustments because they need the tourism revenue. Another thing I don't see mentioned wrt other entry requirements is the fact that there are without exception carve outs for age. A child does not need to be vaccinated (or in some cases even tested) to travel to most European countries with vaccination requirements for adults. WAAAYTOOO and Bob_KY 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renate Posted July 18, 2021 Report Share Posted July 18, 2021 JeffB, we are booked in October, no way are we going to PAY to be treated like second class citizens for refusing to divulge medical information that it is specifically illegal to ask for in the State of Florida. You think the work around is "good accommodation", I say it isn't. We will have to pay hundreds of dollars extra to still be treated like lepers, and those PCR tests aren't even accurate, there's a 30%+ false positive and false negative results for them, not to mention they are painful as hell, and a false positive could ruin the rest of the cruise for us. We're not going to take that chance. If the rules don't change between now and October we will cancel the 2 cruises we have booked and ask for our money back. Btw, my sister works at a doctor's office, they all wear masks all day, they've all been vaccinated, yet they just had an outbreak of Covid in their office, 12 employees got sick all at the same time, one of them a doctor who wears the medical grade N95 masks. Several of them, including my sister ended up in the hospital, so the vaccine doesn't even make the virus "less lethal" or "milder" if you catch a variant of it. https://www.acc.org/latest-in-cardiology/journal-scans/2020/05/18/13/42/variation-in-false-negative-rate-of-reverse WAAAYTOOO, fireclan and Ogilthorpe 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ogilthorpe Posted July 18, 2021 Report Share Posted July 18, 2021 1 hour ago, Renate said: ... are booked in October, no way are we going to PAY to be treated like second class citizens ... I feel the same way ... but I don't plan to cancel and lose money. After consultation with RCCL, they intend to offer FULL refunds (including FCC) for those that don't agree with their restrictions. In my case, I will lend them the final payment amount for a few weeks in order to recover all of my funds. I would rather cruise, but I suspect they don't want my business currently ... Renate and fireclan 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted July 18, 2021 Report Share Posted July 18, 2021 32 minutes ago, Ogilthorpe said: I feel the same way ... but I don't plan to cancel and lose money. After consultation with RCCL, they intend to offer FULL refunds (including FCC) for those that don't agree with their restrictions. In my case, I will lend them the final payment amount for a few weeks in order to recover all of my funds. I would rather cruise, but I suspect they don't want my business currently ... This is precisely what we are doing. Make final payment then get a full refund, including cash for FCCs. I’d rather be cruising but until the protocols are more reasonable, I’ll just keep stuffing money back in my pocket. Ogilthorpe, Renate and fireclan 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renate Posted July 18, 2021 Report Share Posted July 18, 2021 JasonOasis, your statement assumes that people who don't want to share their medical records in order to cruise want to go to countries that demand only vaccinated people. The Caribbean nations ARE willing to host unvaccinated cruise guests as long as they take a cruise line arranged excursion, that is very clearly stated in the "rules" for unvaccinated guests. Btw, can you explain to me why countries like Great Britain, who has the highest rate of vaccinated citizens, is at this very moment suffering from an explosion of Covid illnesses? https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/25/uk-closely-watched-with-its-vaccine-program-and-surge-in-cases.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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